Rahul Gandhi attended the swearing-in of actor Vijay in Chennai after his party TVK's historic win in the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections. TVK won 108 seats, ousting Dravidian parties and forming a government with allies.
As Tamil Nadu ushered in a new political era today, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, attended the swearing-in ceremony of Vijay at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. Rahul Gandhi was seated beside Vijay and was seen engaging in a conversation with him ahead of the landmark occasion.
Ahead of his swearing-in ceremony, Vijay welcomed and greeted Governor Arlekar to the venue.
Historic Mandate in 2026 Elections
The 2026 Tamil Nadu elections were registered in history books after the state declared an unprecedented mandate for Vijay. While TVK ended up winning 108 out of 234 seats in its maiden political stint, it was for the first time in the history of state politics that both legacy 'Dravidian' parties were ousted from power.
However, Vijay couldn't attain majority on its and was later offered support by Congress (5), CPI-M (2), CPI (2), VCK (2) and IUML (2), which were earlier the allies of Secular Progressive Alliance led by DMK.
'Thalapathy's' Political Ascent
Vijay, often referred to as the 'Thalapathy', showed a crowd-pulling ability in the election rallies, which many compared to actor-turned-politician and former CM MG Ramachandran. While Tamil Nadu has had a long history of actors entering and conquering politics, the State awaited another star to step up in the line after Captain Vijayakanth.
He has also embraced his Christian identity while being outspoken about secular politics. Although the TVK was launched in 2024, he has been looked at as a social worker and has not been apolitical, given his films, which dealt with drug menace, corruption and other socio-political issues.
While there has been speculation of him entering politics since 2009, Vijay has involved himself in social work. In the 2026 elections, he won two seats, Perambur and Trichy East, and will resign from one. (ANI)
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