'In all Tamil Nadu constituencies, Vijay is the candidate': Vijay
What's the story
Actor-politician Vijay, the chief of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), announced that he will contest the Tamil Nadu assembly elections from Madurai East before clarifying that his message was symbolic. "In every constituency, it is your own people from your homes who will be the candidates. People should vote as though I myself am contesting. I am the symbol of this party," he said at a mega rally in Madurai district on Thursday.
Political stance
DMK, BJP ideological enemies: Vijay
The TVK is being positioned as a third front in Tamil Nadu politics, between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Vijay has also ruled out any alliances for the state polls, calling the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) his "ideological enemy" and the DMK his "only political enemy." He emphasized that TVK is not a party formed for "political benefits."
Speech
'Our government will be friendly toward all'
"TVK's politics is real, emotional, and meant for the betterment of people. Our priority is the safety of women, the elderly, and children. Our government will be friendly towards all those who need special attention, such as farmers, youth, transgender individuals, neglected elderly, and physically disabled people," the actor said.
Membership initiative
'Now TVK' app launched
On August 13, Vijay had launched the 'Now TVK' app to facilitate the party's membership drive. He had compared the upcoming 2026 elections to major political shifts in 1967 and 1977 when newcomers won against established powers. Drawing inspiration from DMK founder CN Annadurai, Vijay urged party workers to "go to people, live with them, learn from them, and plan along with people."
History
Both Annadurai, Ramachandran had years of experience in politics
Annadurai ran for the Madras (now Chennai) state election in 1967 after founding the DMK that year and won. Similarly, after founding the AIADMK, a breakaway faction of the DMK, MG Ramachandran contested the election in 1977 and won. Both leaders had been in politics for years before contesting elections, unlike Vijay, who formally entered politics with the TVK's founding in 2024.