New Delhi: Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, actor Vijay Thalapathy has presented himself as an alternative to the people in the state where politics, for too long, has revolved around the . DMK and this AIADMK.With its ideological differences with the NDA and political tussle with the DMK, the TVK has emerged as a third option for Tamil voters by fielding candidates on all 234 seats.So, will this experiment live up to Vijay’s expectations? Well, there’s a chance for a fight.Why has Vijay got a chance? tamilnadu electionsOver the past few years, the contest has essentially been between the DMK and AIADMK-led fronts. Since 1967, these two parties have governed alternately, keeping other parties in their respective coalitions.However, the upcoming election looks set to turn into a trifecta, as a large section of voters have chosen not to ally with any of the Dravidian parties over the past few years.In the 2016 assembly elections, AIADMK won 134 seats and secured more than 40 percent of the votes. Meanwhile, DMK won 89 seats with 32.1 per cent vote share. This indicates that around 20 per cent of the votes were distributed between the BJP and other parties including the Left.A similar pattern emerged in the 2021 elections also. The AIADMK-BJP alliance got 39.71 percent votes, while the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance got about 45 percent votes.In both elections, about a fifth of the electorate voted for parties outside the two major coalitions. These unaligned votes – roughly equivalent to 15-20 per cent – remain crucial to the emergence of the Third Front.However, this does not mean that this large share of votes will necessarily go in favor of TVK.Will TVK succeed?As part of this strategy, Vijay announced several populist welfare promises for women in his party’s manifesto.Key assurances include cash assistance of Rs 2,500 per month to female heads of households up to the age of 60 years, while Rs 1,000 is currently provided to eligible female heads of households meeting certain socio-economic criteria under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (KMUT) scheme.Vijay said that women working in state and central governments will not be eligible for the assistance.Other schemes include six free LPG cylinders under the ‘Annapurnani Super Six Scheme’, free bus travel for women in all government buses under the ‘Vetri Payanam Scheme’, assistance of Rs 15,000 per year to mothers or guardians of children to ensure zero dropouts in schools under the ‘Kamarajar Kalvi Uruthi Scheme’, eight grams of gold along with a silk saree for women marrying under the ‘Annan Seer Scheme’ and one gold coin with a child. Ring included. Welcome kit for every newborn baby.
Meanwhile, Vijay and his party have also reached out to the Christian minority votes. He also introduced himself as Joseph Vijay and made a clarion call to minority voters.Furthermore, TVK has been successful in drawing crowds. In October 2024, TVK attracted over 8 lakh people during its first state conference in Vikravandi. Thousands of people come to Vijay’s rallies to listen to him or get a glimpse of him.The superstar has supporters from every class, gender and age group in different areas of Tamil Nadu. Unlike many film stars, Vijay’s supporters are organized and politically active. In the 2021 local body elections, his “fan club” candidates won 115 of the 169 seats they contested.Their fan clubs have also played the role of foot soldiers on social media and regularly organize blood donation camps, free medical checkups, education assistance drives and disaster relief operations.“TVK’s social media army is the largest in India – not just our claim, but what others are saying after seeing it. You are no longer just a fan on social media; You are the virtual warriors of TVK,” he had said.Yet, Tamil Nadu’s electoral history shows that crowd mobilization does not automatically translate into seat changes.Booth-level organisation, caste arithmetic and coalition mathematics have been playing decisive roles – factors that even popular actors have struggled to master in their first electoral innings.Vijay stardom: boon or curseFilm stars in Tamil Nadu often enjoy almost divine status, with fans performing rituals such as pouring milk on large cut-outs before film releases. Some even have temples dedicated to them throughout the state.Yet, this immense popularity has not always translated into electoral success.Kamal Haasan entered politics with the launch of Makkal Needhi Maiam in February 2018, presenting it as a centrist alternative to both the DMK and AIADMK. However, the party failed to win any seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Haasan contested from Coimbatore South but lost, with the party garnering just over 2.6 per cent of the total vote share.
Rajinikanth had also generated huge excitement by announcing plans to launch a political party and contest all 234 assembly seats. But he later reversed his decision citing health concerns and decided not to enter active politics.Once, opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami had remarked that “Vijay may be a good actor but not a leader.”Similarly, the TVK founder has also been targeted in the September 27, 2025 tragedy in which 41 people died and many were injured.The CBI is also questioning Vijay in the stampede case, wasting a large part of his time, which could otherwise have been used for pre-poll strategy or campaigning.Furthermore, critics argue that Vijay has no experience in politics. Its heavy reliance on Vijay’s personal charisma raises questions about depth and scalability.The lack of governance experience and second line of leadership increases skepticism among voters, especially in rural areas. Candidate selection, which is largely dependent on newcomers, may also affect electoral credibility. The Central Investigation Agency has interrogated the TVK chief several times.Politically, the impact of the investigation remains unclear. While rival parties have tried to present the stampede as evidence of administrative inexperience, some in Vijay’s supporting base see the investigation as pressure politics – a story that could either erode trust or strengthen sympathy, depending on how the case unfolds closer to voting.How DMK and AIADMK plan to take on TVKTo counter the wastage of votes, both the fronts have expanded their alliance by including more parties. The DMK has included parties like the DMDK, while the NDA includes TTV Dhinakaran’s AMMK.Meanwhile, leaders like Seeman and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) are also in the race to break the ceiling of relevance.NTK’s support largely remains vote share without securing seats. NTK got 6.6% vote share in the 2021 elections, which is more than BJP and Congress. The central question this time is whether that support will ultimately translate into seats.Voting for 234 seats of Tamil Nadu Assembly will be held on April 23 and the counting of votes will take place on May 4.
