Tamil Nadu elections: Vijay’s TVK supports independent candidate in Edappadi’s Salem, calls for ‘appropriate lesson’

New Delhi: Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on April 23, actor-turned-politician Vijay has announced that his party, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), will support an independent candidate in the high-profile Edappadi constituency. This step has been taken after the party’s official candidate was unable to field.In a post on Twitter on Sunday, Vijay urged voters in Salem district to support his fan club’s former administrator K Premkumar, calling him “our own brother”. He said the party has “unanimously decided to support” Premkumar, who is contesting under the “television set” symbol.“Therefore, I would like to inform you that, on behalf of our Tamil Nadu Vijay League, we have unanimously decided to support our former administrator, Shri K Premkumar,” Vijay said while appealing to voters to ensure his victory by a “huge margin”, as reported by PTI.The TVK chief also struck a sharply political tone, calling on supporters to deliver a result that would serve as a “fair lesson” to those who allegedly tried to suppress the party symbol through “underhanded means”.

Nomination setback signals strategic shift

Premkumar’s support comes after the Election Commission rejected the nomination of TVK’s official candidate Arun Kumar on technical grounds, forcing the party to realign its strategy in the constituency. Premkumar is now being projected as the “emotional candidate” of the party.Edappadi assembly seat is considered to be the stronghold of AIADMK general secretary and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, making the contest politically significant.The development comes days after Vijay unveiled TVK’s manifesto for the elections, which outlined a host of welfare measures including monthly financial assistance for women, interest-free loans for self-help groups, employment generation initiatives and expanded health care coverage.Launched in February 2024, TVK is contesting its first assembly elections, presenting itself as a challenger to the established Dravidian parties in the state.