Tamil Nadu polls: Vijay’s TVK backs independent candidate in Salem Edappadi, calls for ‘proper lesson’

Tamil Nadu polls: Vijay’s TVK backs independent candidate in Edappadi Salem, calls for ‘proper lesson’

New Delhi: Ahead of the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, actor-turned-politician Vijay has announced that his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) will support independent candidates in the high-profile Edappadi constituency. The move comes after the party’s official nominee was unable to compete.In a post on X on Sunday, Vijay urged the voters of Salem district to support his former fan club administrator K Premakumar, calling him “our own brother”. He said the party had “unanimously decided to support” Premakumar, who is contesting under the ‘television’ symbol.“I would therefore like to inform you all that we, on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Victory Alliance, have unanimously decided to support our former Chief Executive Mr. K. Premakumar,” Vijay said, according to the Press Trust of India. He called on voters to ensure that he wins with a “huge margin.”The TVK chairman also struck a sharply political tone, calling on supporters to come up with a result that would provide “appropriate lessons” to those who allegedly tried to suppress the party’s symbols through “unfair means”.

Nomination setback prompts strategy shift

Premakumar’s support came after the Election Commission rejected the nomination of TVK’s official candidate Arun Kumar on technical grounds, forcing the party to recalibrate its constituency strategy. Premakumar is now considered the party’s “spiritual candidate”.The Edappadi Assembly seat is considered a stronghold of AIADMK general secretary and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, making the contest politically significant.A few days ago, Vijay unveiled TVK’s election manifesto, outlining a slew of welfare measures, including monthly financial assistance to women, interest-free loans to self-help groups, job creation and expansion of healthcare coverage.TVK, formed in February 2024, is contesting its first assembly elections, positioning itself as a challenger to established Dravidian parties in the state.