Actor Vijay makes his electoral debut for his party TVK, contesting from Perambur against DMK's RD Shekar and from Trichy East. The star faces an uphill battle against established politicians, with his popularity and controversies in focus.
The stage is set for a star versus political heavyweight contest in Tamil Nadu's Perambur Assembly constituency, where Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay is making his electoral debut against sitting Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLA RD Shekar.
Actor-turned-politician Vijay's entry has made it an interesting battle to look out for as he faces a challenge against traditional politicians in North Chennai's Perambur.
The Perambur Battleground
While many in Tamil Nadu compare Vijay's crowd-pulling ability to former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran, RD Shekar is no less popular in Perambur with his landslide victory in the last elections by a margin of 54,976 votes against AIADMK's NR Dhanapalan. Perambur was held by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) from 2001 to 2016, when the AIADMK's P Vetrival changed this trend in the 2016 Assembly polls, winning by a narrow margin of 519 votes. Currently, the constituency witnesses the dominance of the DMK after RD Shekar recorded a huge win in the 2021 polls, and the North Chennai parliamentary constituency is also with the party.
Vijay's 'Reel' to 'Real' Life Politics
While it seems like an uphill battle for Vijay, if he manages to convert a significant fraction of his fans into voters, Perambur might witness a new electoral picture in 2026. With significant Christian and Muslim populations, Joseph Vijay's Christian identity and attending Iftar and extending support to religious minorities may work in his favour.
Vijay, often referred to as 'Thalapathy', is not a new figure in households, as his film releases are a festival in Chennai. The youth-based fan clubs even render him the political support, similar to MGR. While he is new to elections, his films have always been political and based on the ideas of justice. With his recent films 'Master' and 'Bigil', he has formed an image of a youth leader. Starting his career with romantic films, Vijay is now a revered action star.
Drug menace is a known issue in Perambur along with other parts of North Chennai and has turned into an electoral plank in the constituency. TVK, in its manifesto, has promised "anti-drug protection zones" in all schools and colleges across the state, with Vijay stating, "Our primary goal is to create a drug-free Tamil Nadu." Even in one of his most popular films, 'Master', Vijay fights against the drug menace in a juvenile correctional home.
However, if people are drawing his political ideologies from his films, then it is to be noted that films including 'Ghilli', 'Theri' and others portray him as a saviour, often indulging in violence and extra-judicial means. While Vijay, as a cop in films, may indulge in extra-judicial actions, Vijay the politician had come out to protest against the custodial death of Ajith Kumar in 2025. Only time will tell if the public gets a 'Leo' or Parthiban in case the electoral result goes in Vijay's favour.
Controversies and Challenges
Ahead of the elections, Vijay has been surrounded by several controversies. The September 27, 2025, Karur stampede, which claimed the lives of 41 people during a TVK rally, has left a huge dent on the party's campaign. While after months of investigation and a halt on rallies, TVK got back onto the road, only to face FIRs for holding rallies against police permissions. However, the party has accused the police of working on the behest of the DMK government. Another controversy dealing with Vijay's marital life may have an impact.
The DMK Stronghold and Other Contenders
Despite his massive popularity, Perumbur is not a walkover for Vijay as the DMK will try to retain the key constituency. Apart from RD Shekar riding on the massive victory in the 2021 polls, Perambur is geographically located next to Chief Minister MK Stalin's bastion, Kolathur. Stalin's popularity and call for the 'Dravidian 2.0' model will have an influence on the voters in Perambur.
Meanwhile, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK)'s M Thilgabama is also in fray as an NDA candidate. Thilgabama is looking for an electoral victory after a defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on the Dindigul seat.
The Second Front: Tiruchirappalli East
TVK chief Vijay is also contesting the polls from Tiruchirappalli East seat against sitting DMK MLA Inigo Irudayaraj S. The Trichy East seat, formed in 2011, was held by the AIADMK for the first two elections before the DMK won it in 2021.
In the last polls, Inigo Irudayaraj S won with a huge margin of 53,797 votes and former MLA Vellamandi Natarajan. AIADMK has fielded G Rajasekaran to get hold of the seat again. Rajasekaran, an interior designer consultant by profession, is a treasurer and IT wing member for AIADMK in Trichy.
Meanwhile, DMK finds an edge in Trichy East after a massive win in the last polls. Even DMK Minister KN Nehru's influence in his constituency, Trichy West, is likely to have an impact in Trichy East as well.
TVK's Political Positioning and Future
Several political experts in Tamil Nadu have attributed a vote share of 10 to 15 per cent to the TVK, but for the debutant party to make a mark, it will have to convert the vote share into seats. For this, Vijay needs to win at least one of Perambur and Trichy East to enter the Assembly. After a long list of successful actor-politicians in the state, recently Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan, who enjoy massive popularity, could not convert it into electoral gains.
Unlike Rajinikanth, Vijay has embraced Dravidian politics while pitching himself as an alternative to traditional Dravidian parties. On October 28, 2024, in what is regarded as his first political speech, Vijay called Periyar his ideological leader, while noting that the party will not adopt his atheism. He also referred to CN Annadurai, K Kamaraj and Babasaheb BR Ambedkar as the party's leaders for the idea of social justice.
While there has been speculation of him entering politics since 2009, Vijay has involved himself in social work and has taken part in several protests for the public to always see him as a socio-political figure and not just another actor.
Although both seats are held by the DMK, the elections in Perambur and Trichy East will decide the course for TVK and Vijay in Tamil Nadu politics. Polling for the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections will take place on April 23, with counting of votes on May 4. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)