Actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) held its first-ever state level conference on 27 October 2024 at V. Salai near Vikravandi in Vizhuppuram district where the actor-turned-politician expanded on his party’s ideologies and fixed his political opponents.

The crowd was far larger than anticipated, and Vijay’s speech surpassed expectations. For many hearing Vijay’s political voice for the first time, it was striking. Although it did feel a little amateurish, with many taking jibes at his speech as ‘deleted scenes from Sarkar’, he did press the right buttons with his extempore delivery.

Vijay’s stance seems directed at both the BJP-led central government and the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government. However, his primary political adversary appears to be the DMK, as he positions himself as a key player rooted in and representing Tamil Nadu.

But we must remember that part-time politician and former Bigg Boss host Kamal Haasan also started on a similar footing like Vijay, with dialogues aimed at the DMK and torches thrown at them. And we know how that ended. Only time will tell if Vijay will end up like Kamal. For now, we should appreciate the fact that he didn’t back off like Rajini.

The Vijayakanth Model

Vijay made his debut in cinema as a child actor in the film ‘Vettri’ directed by his father which had Vijayakanth play the lead role. Now, years later, it’s both nostalgic and symbolic that Vijay has made his political debut under the banner of Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam.

Actor Vijayakanth entered the film industry in the early 1980s and, over time, organized fan clubs across Tamil Nadu. Members of these clubs participated in the 2001 local body elections, gaining valuable experience in election management and grassroots networking. This foundation proved beneficial when Vijayakanth’s party, DMDK, contested the 2006 Assembly elections.

Vijay has adopted a similar strategy by transforming his fan clubs into the foundational framework of his political party. He silently tested waters in the 2021 rural local body elections, where his fan club members succeeded in securing 115 out of the 169 seats they contested by just flashing Vijay’s face and name.

If Vijayakanth’s DMDK had the word (Desiya) “nationalistic” in his party name, Vijay has added the nationalistic flavour by upholding Karmaveerar Kamaraj and making him as one of the guiding forces of the party.

Vijayakanth had a strong connect with the rural masses and Vijay too has a strong presence thanks to his filmdom and the reach of his fan clubs. Go to a random village or town in Tamil Nadu and you’ll see a flex of Vijay Rasigar Mandram with mugshots of young chaps of that locality. Till date, members of the fan clubs and their family might have voted for a DMK, ADMK, PMK or VCK. But today, they’ve their own party to canvass for and vote. Only a superficial political commentator will take these fan clubs lightly.

Vijay is just going by the playbook of Vijayakanth. As of today, he has the potential to emerge as another Vijayakanth. But Vijayakanth was of a different mettle. He was a tough political player who kept even Jayalalithaa on her toes and never yielded to enticements and pressures from the DMK despite the latter razing down his marriage hall, something that was close to his heart. Will Vijay be able to handle the pressure from DMK? We’ve to wait and watch.

Ideology And Policies: Stale And Unoriginal

‘Secular Social Justice Ideologies’ – that’s the position of Actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, which makes it another Dravidian party in the Tamil Nadu political landscape. And it is very much similar to what the DMDK had professed. DMDK too embraced Dravidianism, secularism, social justice, and populism. By taking such a position Vijay will be fighting for the same votebank as of other Dravidian parties.

Atleast Vijayakanth had the guts and the gumption to have this as his party principle – “Save Mother Tamil and Learn All Languages”. It is disappointing to see Vijay aping the DMK, ADMK, MDMK and other Dravidianist parties on the issue of language. However, Vijay has been smart enough to accept that ideologies and policies are subject to change in accordance with time and circumstances.

From abolishing the Governor’s post to opposing NEET, resisting Hindi, and advocating for a two-language policy—it’s the same old stuck Dravidian tape recorder playing on repeat.

This makes Vijay look like an unintelligent Dravidian Stock because if he holds Dr. Ambedkar as the guiding light of his party then it is meaningless and quite oxymoronic to call for abolishing Governor post and taking anti-Hindi position because they are very much against the Constitution.

One good thing that Vijay has been pragmatic about is cancelling EVR’s anti-Hindu ideology. For the kind attention of Sanghis, even BJP Tamil Nadu leader K. Annamalai had taken the same stance of Vijay with respect to EVR saying that the BJP opposes only EVR’s anti-Hindu views while recognizing him as a reformer relevant to his time, who fought against discrimination and for women’s rights.

On closer look, TVK resembles the early AIADMK in spirit—a genuinely “secular” Dravidian party that avoids antagonizing any religion or community, unlike the DMK which espouses a virulent anti-Hindu ideology.

Vijay, while formulating his political ideology must’ve thought of it to be like a ‘Jigarthanda’ which would entice people across the spectrum. Like how Badam Pisin is the the main and a crucial ingredient in Jigarthanda, Dravidam is the crucial base for TVK. On top of that you add the Nannari syrup of nationalism, condensed cold milk of casteism, a dash of Dalitism, topped with Tamil Nationalism ice cream and garnished with fruity feminism. Voila! Vijay’s Jigarthanda is ready to be served. But the fancy for Jigarthanda doesn’t last long.

The disadvantage for Vijay is that like NTK, the TVK is also an individual-based and individual-centric party. The vote that that TVK party gets is not for its ideology but for Brand Vijay. Once the central figure of the party is gone, its potency will wane. How Vijay’s TVK will manage to keep his party intact for years to come after 2026 will remain to be seen.

Vijay’s TVK Will Cause Max Damage To Whom?

Since Vijay has sounded his political ‘bigil‘ fixing DMK as his primary political opponent, it can be said that he’s aiming to sway the voters of ADMK to his side. But will it be the most affected party? Not actually.

The most affected party would be Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi. It is not without any reason that Seeman quickly called Vijay’s ideology as the polar opposite of NTK. While NTK opposes Dravidianism, Vijay equates Dravidianism and Tamil Nationalism as his two eyes. NTK is an ideologically stronger option for those wanting a non-Dravidian alternative and has a proven electoral track record. But Vijay’s charisma overshadows Seeman. Voters of NTK are mostly floating voters who are disillusioned with the major players. For them, a Vijay’s TVK is as good as Seeman’s NTK. Seeman seems to have sensed that his potential voters could now end up in Vijay’s pocket. Also, the reach of Vijay among first-time voters, especially in rural Tamil Nadu, particularly women, has the potential to spoil NTK’s rise. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Seeman doubles down his attack on Vijay.

The next affected party would be Thol. Thirumavalavan’s VCK. Vijay has a considerable following among Dalit youth. One can see Vijay fan clubs in many of the Dalit localities and given his Christian faith, minorities will now see TVK as an option.

The ADMK, though has a experienced player who has risen from the grassroots at the helm, he lacks the glamour and charisma that Vijay has. With Vijay positioning himself as an anti-DMK force and if he goes hammer and tongs against the DMK in the coming days, he’ll sway voters who would’ve otherwise voted for ADMK. If he pulls anti-DMK votes, it might fracture the DMK bloc and weaken the ADMK’s position in elections against the DMK.

Vijay’s messaging around social justice, anti-corruption, and welfare may resonate with voters who embrace the Dravidian ideology. Many young voters in urban and semi-urban areas who have been loyal to the DMK might find a new option in TVK, particularly if they see Vijay as a refreshing alternative to Udhayanidhi’s DMK.  With anti-incumbency already setting in due to misgovernance, unmet promises, and local issues, disillusioned supporters might look for alternatives. Vijay, perceived as an outsider with a clean reputation, could attract these voters.

The BJP in Tamil Nadu is likely to feel the least effect from Vijay’s political entry as there is no overlap of ideology or possible voters. So, the BJP should see an ally in Vijay and not an enemy for now. Going by the tone and tenor Vijay’s speech, he has not made BJP a political taboo and has the doors open for a potential alliance. Unless Vijay attacks the BJP heavily targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP should not expend its energy on attacking TVK. To put it in the words of Vijay – Decent Appoach, Decent Attack – should also be the BJP’s strategy towards TVK.

Historically, DMK and AIADMK alliances have secured over 80% of Tamil Nadu’s votes, pushing third-party options to the margins. However, in the 2024 elections, their combined share fell below 70%, even dipping under 50% without alliances. This drop is what inspired BJP to carve its own path in the state under Annamalai’s leadership.

The DMK’s influence in Tamil Nadu remains robust, with the party leading a strong alliance that has seen repeated victories. Currently, opposition forces — including AIADMK, BJP (NDA), Naam Tamilar, and now Vijay — are fragmented in their approach against the DMK coalition. This landscape suggests a potential five-way contest for the 2026 elections: DMK alliance, AIADMK, BJP (NDA), Naam Tamilar, and Vijay’s TVK.  So unless the DMK alliance splits, Vijay’s entry will only make it easier for DMK to win.

Vijay who is electorally yet to prove himself wants others to rally behind him in case of an alliance. He should understand that realpolitik doesn’t work that way. If DMK is to be defeated, a strong alliance is required. As of today, Vijay has the option of allying with only AIADMK and Puthiya Tamilagam (which is in ADMK alliance). If VCK decides to ditch DMK and join with AIADMK+, then Vijay can play second fiddle to Edappadi Palaniswami, taking cue from Andhra politics. It took Pawan Kalyan a decade of political work to be where he is today. Vijay can’t expect to become a Pawan Kalyan in just over an year.

For 2026, a 4-way (if ADMK aligns with TVK) or 5-way contest could significantly benefit non-DMK+ contenders, provided TVK dent the DMK+ vote bank. A 3-way race, however, would likely pave the way for another DMK victory.

Kaushik is a political writer. 

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