Actor and TVK leader Vijay campaigned in Puducherry in support of alliance candidates, but the visit turned tense after an unpermitted roadshow drew massive crowds.
Police had granted permission for campaign events at four locations between 9 am and 2 pm, including Thattanchavady Market Committee and Venkatasubba Reddiyar Square. However, Vijay’s roadshow created commotion and slowed movement along the route.
Vijay arrived around 9.30 am and shifted from his car to a campaign vehicle near Kanagasetty Kulam at the state border. Thousands of supporters, including women and members of the public, surrounded the vehicle, preventing it from moving; Vijay was seen standing on the vehicle and requesting people to give way.
As the convoy moved from Karuvadikuppam towards Thattanchavady, crowds packed both sides of the road, leaving police and private security struggling to control the situation. A brief scare was reported when a person threw a watermelon into the campaign vehicle.
With the crowd becoming unmanageable, police carried out a mild lathi-charge, after which supporters dispersed and a passage was created. Vijay reached the Thattanchavady campaign venue at 11.52 am; police later stopped vehicles from following his convoy. Local police and paramilitary personnel were deployed, and traffic congestion was reported on ECR and key Puducherry–Cuddalore routes.
