TVK’s Vijay Aims for Disruptor Role in Tamil Nadu Politics

Both Bihar and Tamil Nadu are excessively caste-based political turfs. To not align with caste politics could be a gamble for both Vijay and Kishor.

By MANISH ANAND

NEW DELHI, August 21, 2025 — Film star turned politician Vijay is aiming to unsettle decades-old Tamil Nadu politics. His Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is hogging national attention for a not so far seen spectacle in Madurai where the outfit is holding a conference for party’s cadres.

The former film star quit the stardom in his early 50s. He claims that he gave up a lucrative cinema career for the cause of the people. On Thursday, Vijay in his Madurai meeting will converse with supporters, while walking a one-km ramp.

Drones will keep a watch on the gathering. Scores of doctors will attend to any emergency. Pink rooms will cater to mothers with babies. Close to a million water bottles will quench thirst of the party cadres.

Vijay will share his vision for Tamil Nadu. In his past utterances, he prioritized fight against corruption. He lists both the ruling DMK and the AIADMK as his rivals. Vijay’s TVK wants to make a spectacular entry in Tamil Nadu politics with maiden electoral contest in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Political observers are currently dismissive of Vijay, saying that several of his predecessors from the cinema world came and went away without weathering even the exteriors of either the DMK or the AIADMK. Vijaykanth had also launched his party from Madurai. The late film star turned politician eked out peripheral share in the state politics.

Vijay claims that his politics is above caste and religion. Yet his supporters had been seen in outreach with churches in Tamil Nadu. He is getting advice from maverick electoral strategist Prashant Kishor.

Famed for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Chai pe Charcha’ outreach in 2014, Kishor has met Vijay at least twice. He is himself bracing up to contest the Bihar Assembly elections this year.

Kishor is also on a familiar ground, as he seeks to play a disrupter in Bihar’s bipolarity in politics with two fronts holding the grounds amid mushrooming peripheral political outfits.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has high stakes in Bihar and Tamil Nadu, In both the states, the BJP hopes that the new entrants hogging media limelight should burn the political edifices of the rivals. A section of political observers opines that both Vijay and Kishor have backing of powerful forces.

Both Bihar and Tamil Nadu are excessively caste-based political turfs. To not align with caste politics could be a gamble for both Vijay and Kishor.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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