New Delhi: Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, actor Vijay Talapathy is positioning himself as an alternative for the people of the state, where politics has long revolved DMK and Artificial Intelligence ADMK.Due to ideological differences with the NDA and political battle with the DMK, TVK has emerged as the third choice for Tamil voters, fielding candidates in all 234 seats.So, will this experiment live up to Vijay’s expectations? Well, there’s still a fighting chance.Why does Vijay have a chance? tamil nadu pollsOver the years, the competition has been essentially between the DMK and AIADMK-led fronts. Since 1967, these two parties have alternated in power, allowing the other parties to maintain their respective coalitions.However, the upcoming elections look set to become a trifecta as a sizeable number of voters have chosen not to align themselves with any of the Dravidian parties over the years.In the 2016 assembly polls, the AIADMK won 134 seats and secured over 40% of the votes. Meanwhile, the DMK won 89 seats with a vote share of 32.1%. This shows that nearly 20% of the votes were allocated to other parties, including the BJP and the Left parties.A similar pattern is emerging in the 2021 elections. The AIADMK-BJP alliance secured 39.71 per cent of the votes, while the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance secured about 45 per cent of the votes.In both elections, about one-fifth of the electorate voted for a party outside the two major coalitions. These disparate votes – roughly equivalent to 15-20% – remain crucial for the emergence of a third front.However, this does not mean that this large number of votes will definitely support TVK.Will TVK succeed?As part of this strategy, Vijay announced a series of populist welfare promises for women in his party manifesto.Key assurances include a monthly cash assistance of Rs 2,500 to women heads of households below 60 years of age, while Rs 1,000 cash assistance is currently provided under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (KMUT) scheme to eligible women heads of households meeting certain socio-economic criteria.Vijay said women working in state and federal governments will not be eligible for the aid.Other schemes include free provision of six LPG cylinders under the ‘Annapoorani Super Six Scheme’, free travel in all government buses for women under the ‘Vetri Payanam Scheme’, annual assistance of Rs 15,000 to mothers or guardians of children under the ‘Kamarajar Kalvi Uruthi Scheme’ to ensure zero dropouts in schools, eight grams of gold and silk sarees to women getting married under the ‘Annan Seer Scheme’. Program” and provides each newborn with a gold ring and baby welcome kit.
At the same time, Vijay and his party also began courting the Christian minority vote. He also introduced himself as Joseph Vijay and made a clear appeal to minority voters.In addition, TVK has also been successful in attracting viewers. In October 2024, TVK held its first state conference in Vikravandi, attracting over 800,000 people. Thousands of people attend Vijay’s rallies to listen to his speeches or catch a glimpse of him.The superstar has supporters across all classes, genders and age groups in different parts of Tamil Nadu. Unlike many movie stars, Vijay’s supporters are well-organized and politically active. In the 2021 local body polls, his “fan club” candidates won 115 of the 169 seats they contested.His fan club has also acted as foot soldiers on social media, conducting regular blood donation camps, free medical check-ups, educational support events and disaster relief efforts.“TVK’s social media army is the largest in India – not just from our claims but from others who have witnessed it. You are no longer just a fan on social media; you are TVK’s virtual warriors,” he said.However, Tamil Nadu’s electoral history shows that crowd mobilization does not automatically translate into seat conversions.Booth-level organization, caste arithmetic and alliance arithmetic continue to play a decisive role – factors that even popular actors struggled to grasp in the first election.Vijay’s stardom: a blessing or a curseFilm stars in Tamil Nadu often enjoy an almost divine status, with fans performing rituals before a film’s release, such as pouring milk on giant paper cutouts. Some even have temples dedicated to them throughout the state.However, this huge popularity does not always translate into electoral success.Kamal Haasan entered politics in February 2018 with the launch of Makkal Needhi Maiam, which he saw as a centrist alternative to DMK and AIADMK. However, the party failed to win any seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the Hassan Party contested but failed against the Coimbatore South Party, while the party secured just over 2.6% of the total vote share.
Rajinikanth also created a huge stir when he announced plans to form a political party and contest all 234 parliamentary seats. But he later reversed his decision, citing health problems, and chose not to be active in politics.At one point, Opposition Leader Edappadi K Palaniswami remarked: “Vijay may be a good actor, but he is not a leader.”Likewise, the founder of TVK was also targeted due to the tragedy that occurred on September 27, 2025, which resulted in the death of 41 people and the injury of many others.The CBI is also grilling Vijay over the stampede, taking up a lot of time that he could have spent on pre-poll strategy or campaigning.In addition, critics say Vijay lacks political experience. Its heavy reliance on Vijay’s charisma raises questions about depth and scalability.A lack of governance experience and second-line leadership has increased voter skepticism, especially in rural areas. Candidate selection relies heavily on newcomers and may also affect the credibility of the election. The central investigation agency has questioned the person in charge of TVK many times.From a political perspective, the impact of the investigation remains unclear. While rival parties have tried to cast the stampede as evidence of an inexperienced administration, some of Vijay’s supporters see the inquiry as the politics of pressure – a narrative that will either erode confidence or solidify sympathy, depending on how the case progresses closer to the vote.How DMK and AIADMK plan to fight TVKIn response to vote leakage, both fronts have also expanded their coalitions by including more parties. The DMK includes parties like DMDK, while the NDA includes TTV Dinakaran’s AMMK.Meanwhile, leaders like Seeman and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) are also racing to push the envelope of relevance.NTK’s support remains largely a vote share, not a seat gain. In the 2021 elections, NTK secured 6.6% of the vote share, surpassing the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress. The central question this time is whether that support will ultimately translate into seats.Polling for 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly will be held on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4.
