TVK’s victory is not a tsunami or a wave: Anbumani

Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president and Rajya Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) said he welcomed the “change” in the State, which has led to many youngsters, who were previously uninterested in politics, becoming invested in various political issues, and highlighted his party’s role in mobilising people against the previous DMK government.

Speaking at a review meeting of PMK office-bearers, Dr. Anbumani said, “These youngsters didn’t know politics… didn’t know about elections, didn’t know about the State Assembly proceedings. They were watching Bigg Boss. Today, these youngsters watch Assembly proceedings live. We have to respect that. These same youngsters will support us soon. Only we can do that.” He added: “I have urged him [Mr. Vijay] to conduct a caste-wise census/survey.”

Dr. Anbumani further underlined that the election results did not reflect a ‘Vijay tsunami’ or a ‘wave’ and that the PMK has withstood and held its own against much bigger waves in the past. “We formed an alliance that you (cadre) all wanted. We have achieved one of our stated goals to remove the DMK but we (our alliance) couldn’t come to power. The reason being Mr. Vijay. He has created an impact, and voters have voted for change. At the same time, it is not a tsunami or a wave. If that’s true, then the TVK should have got 160-170 MLAs. They didn’t even get a simple majority. In eight districts, the TVK couldn’t even win in a single constituency,” he said.

Dr. Anbumani said that a party’s success couldn’t be measured just based on its performance in elections but based on what it does for people’s welfare. “In the 1991 elections, there was a Rajiv Gandhi wave (after his assassination), and we still won one constituency, and so did the DMK. In 1996, when there was a real wave against Jayalalithaa, we won four constituencies while the AIADMK won just two seats. We have seen many elections, and it is just a process.”

He also slammed the majority of the media for failing to reflect the anger of the people against the DMK government. “I am not blaming everyone. A majority of the media, especially those who speak on television, kept singing praises about the DMK government,” he said. He further criticised DMK president M.K. Stalin for surrounding himself with “incompetent ministers” as his advisors.

PMK floor leader and Dharmapuri MLA Sowmiya Anbumani said, “After the elections, the media has finally started speaking about the PMK’s strong performance and its role in supporting and helping a bigger party to sustain in the region. We are treated with great respect in the Assembly. We have to enlist the support of more women into our fold. We should also speak about our achievements. Our future is bright.”