Vijay's political debut nears, but a tough road lies ahead
What's the story
Tamil actor-politician Vijay, chief of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), recently announced that his political party will be contesting in the upcoming state assembly elections. The launch has drawn comparisons to the political debuts of actors MG Ramachandran and NT Rama Rao. However, a Moneycontrol analysis reveals that while actors bring charisma, few have managed to convert stardom directly into a chief minister's chair in their very first electoral outing.
Success story
NTR, MGR exceptions to the trend
The standout exception to this trend is NTR. His Telugu Desam Party (TDP) achieved a remarkable feat by winning 201 out of the 289 seats it contested in the 1983 polls, securing a vote share of 46%. He retained office in 1985 with over 40% support. Similarly, MGR's AIADMK also came to power in its debut election in 1977 and ruled until his death in 1987.
Struggles
Sivaji Ganesan, Kamal Haasan, Chiranjeevi's mixed bag
While NTR and Ramachandran's parties found success, others have had a rough start. Sivaji Ganesan's Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani couldn't win a single seat in the 1989 elections despite contesting 49 seats. Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam managed only 2.6% vote share in 2021, resulting in no wins across 180 seats. Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam performed better with 18 out of 288 seats and a vote share of 16% in 2009 but soon merged with Congress.
Alliance success
Better performance with fewer seats or alliances
Actor-run parties have historically fared better when they contest fewer seats or form alliances with larger players. Vijayakanth's DMDK won only one of 234 seats in its 2006 debut despite an 8.4% vote share. However, it won 29 out of 41 seats in an alliance in 2011. Similarly, Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena had a poor debut in 2019 but allied strategically and swept all 21 it contested in the next election, bringing him closer to the CM's chair.
TVK's debut
Vijay to contest from Madurai East in upcoming polls
Vijay has announced that his party will contest the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. He emphasized that the upcoming election will be a direct contest between TVK and the ruling DMK. In his speech at Madurai's Parapathi, he said, "TVK's politics is real, emotional, for the betterment of people; and only for doing good to them." He also declared that he would contest from Madurai East.