Dharapuram bye-poll NTK candidate held; Seeman alleges political vendetta

Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief coordinator Seeman on Tuesday, October 20, has criticised the Tamil Nadu police for arresting the party's Dharapuram Assembly bye-election candidate M Karthika in connection with three cases registered during her election campaign.Seeman alleged that Karthika had been targeted for protesting the police’s denial of permission to campaign. The Dharapuram Assembly constituency bye-poll was held on October 6. Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)’s P Sathyabama won the election by a margin of 9,471 votes.  “At a time when law-and-order and peace have completely deteriorated across the state, Chief Minister Vijay has failed to use the police to set things right and is making false cases to arrest Karthika for political revenge. Is this not despicable politics?” he asked.அரசியல் பழிவாங்கும் நோக்கோடு பொய் வழக்குப் புனைந்து தங்கை கார்த்திகா உள்ளிட்ட நாம் தமிழர் உறவுகளைக் கைதுசெய்திருப்பது தவெக அரசின் கீழ்த்தரமான அரசியல்! அதிகாரம் நிலையானதல்ல எந்த ஆட்சியும் நிரந்தரமானதல்ல! இந்த ஆட்சியும், அதிகாரமும் வீழும் நாள் வெகுதொலைவில் இல்லை!@CMOTamilnadu…— செந்தமிழன் சீமான் (@Seeman4TN) October 20, 2026 Karthika, who is the NTK's women wing coordinator, had contested the bye-election in Dharapuram of Tiruppur district. The case is linked to incidents during that bye-election, in which Vijay campaigned for the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) candidate Sathyabama. On the last day of the election campaign, NTK had planned to campaign in the Veerachimangalam area of Dharapuram. Chief Minister Vijay had also announced that he would campaign for TVK at the same time in the location.The police denied NTK permission, citing the Chief Minister’s scheduled roadshow and security arrangements along the route.Karthika and other NTK members objected to the restriction, alleging that the police were preventing their campaign and acting in a biased manner. An argument broke out between the party members and the police, following which NTK members staged a road blockade in protest. Three cases were registered against Karthika and a few NTK members for allegedly besieging a police station, campaigning along the route taken by Vijay, and allegedly making defamatory remarks about him.The Dharapuram police arrested Karthikha and her husband Muruga Chandrakumar from her residence in Coimbatore. Six NTK functionaries were also arrested in connection with the case. “If the TVK government is going to repeat the same mistakes that the Dravidian parties made during their previous regimes, is this good governance? This is a disgraceful, authoritarian rule,” Seeman said.He also demanded that Karthika, Muruga Chandrakumar, and the other NTK members be released immediately. He warned that the government would have to face consequences if it failed to do so.Reacting to the arrest, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president and former chief minister MK Stalin questioned the government's decision to take action against a woman from a marginalised community.“Women from oppressed communities who participate in public life should be welcomed and encouraged, irrespective of differences in ideology. What does this government try to achieve by arresting and intimidating them?” Stalin asked.நடந்து முடிந்த தாராபுரம் தொகுதி இடைத்தேர்தலின்போது தொடரப்பட்ட வழக்கு காரணமாக, நாம் தமிழர் கட்சியின் வேட்பாளர் திருமதி கார்த்திகா அவர்களைத் த.வெ.க. அரசு கைது செய்திருப்பது வன்மையான கண்டனத்திற்குரியது.ஒடுக்கப்பட்ட சமுதாயத்தைச் சேர்ந்த பெண்கள் பொதுவாழ்க்கையில் ஈடுபடுவதை, கொள்கை… https://t.co/1rU359eMTs— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) October 20, 2026 Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) president TTV Dhinakaran has also questioned the government's priorities, arguing that the police should be focused on tackling crime and drug trafficking rather than targeting political opponents.நாம் தமிழர் கட்சியின் சார்பில் தாராபுரம் சட்டமன்றத் தொகுதி இடைத்தேர்தலில் போட்டியிட்ட திருமதி கார்த்திகா உட்பட அக்கட்சியின் நிர்வாகிகள் 6 பேர் கைது – எதிர்க்கட்சியினர் மீதான தவெக அரசின் பழிவாங்கல் நடவடிக்கை கடும் கண்டனத்திற்குரியது!நாம் தமிழர் கட்சியின் தாராபுரம் சட்டமன்றத்…— TTV Dhinakaran (@TTVDhinakaran) October 20, 2026