Vijay’s TVK disrupts Dravidian bipolar politics, takes early lead in over 100 seats

Vijay tapped into his mass appeal as a film star, overcoming a lack of political experience, as people looked for a change and an alternative to the DMK and AIADMK. TVK’s cadre is mostly drawn from the Vijay fan clubs, which have millions of members across the state. The club members have been projected as part of Vijay’s people’s movement, “Vijay Makkal Iyakkam,” involved in social service.

A TVK leader said the fan clubs ensured that Vijay’s political message reached every home. “They worked with a lot of enthusiasm for their star,” he said, attributing the TVK’s stunning debut to the “young, unrelenting” cadre that worked around the clock.

Vijay launched his political party in February 2024 and announced that he would contest the 2026 elections. In August 2024, Vijay unveiled his party’s two-coloured flag: bright red at the top and bottom, and yellow in the middle with two elephants on either side of the flower ‘Vaagai’. The Tamil word ‘Vaagai’ also means victory.