Vijay Vs Stalins: The Feud Gets Personal With Wife, Husband, Father Swipes

Last Updated:June 25, 2026, 14:15 IST

Responding to Vijay's jibe, MK Stalin struck a defiant note, saying his political presence was not confined to the legislature.

What began as a political swipe in the Tamil Nadu Assembly has snowballed into a war of words involving references to fathers, husbands and wives, further intensifying the political rivalry between Chief Minister Joseph Vijay and the MK Stalin-led DMK.

The controversy began after during a speech in the Assembly, narrated a story involving the question, “Where is your father?" The remark was widely interpreted as a swipe at Udhayanidhi Stalin and the absence of his father from the House.

The comment assume significance as Stalin suffered a shocking defeat in Kolathur constituency to the TVK in the recently held assembly elections. Since then, the former Chief Minister has remained outside the Assembly, while his son Udhayanidhi Stalin serves as Leader of the Opposition.

Responding to Vijay’s jibe, MK Stalin struck a defiant note, saying his political presence was not confined to the legislature.

“I am in the people’s hearts. I may not be in the Assembly, but I am there wherever people look for me," Stalin said.

The political sparring took a more personal turn when Udhayanidhi responded on X with a cryptic post stating that “only Tamil Nadu knows the story of a wife searching for her husband at Chengalpattu court." The remark was widely seen as an indirect reference to reports surrounding Vijay’s wife Sangeetha and an alleged divorce plea.

The exchange drew criticism from several quarters, with political observers accusing leaders on both sides of dragging personal matters into public political discourse.

Meanwhile, senior DMK leader KN Nehru appeared to use Vijay’s remark as a rallying cry for Stalin’s return to active legislative politics.

“He asked our leader, where is your father? He will come. Very soon he will come in. That’s all we can say now. He will return and take responsibility again. Till yesterday our cadre were quiet. But after he spoke, cadres across Tamil Nadu want this," Nehru said at a public meeting.

His comments are being interpreted as the strongest indication yet that the DMK could field Stalin in one of the Assembly by-elections expected in the coming months.

The controversy has also put pressure on Vijay from within his own alliance. VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan criticised the Chief Minister’s remark, saying personal references did not suit the dignity of the office and urging him to maintain decorum in the Assembly.

The political row comes as six Assembly seats are set to go to by-polls. One vacancy arose after Vijay resigned from Tiruchy East while retaining Perambur, while five others were created following the resignation of AIADMK legislators, four of whom later joined the TVK.

With the by-elections expected to be the first major political test after the Assembly polls, the contest could offer the DMK an opportunity to bring its tallest leader back into the legislature. For now, Stalin has remained silent on whether he intends to contest, but Vijay’s “Where is your father?" jab has reignited calls within the DMK for his political comeback.

About the Author

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degre...Read More

News india Vijay Vs Stalins: The Feud Gets Personal With Wife, Husband, Father Swipes

Read More