From films to politics, Vijay's explosive entry, a first major success for TVK

Like his blockbuster films that are replete with action and heroism, Vijay, the actor-turned-politician and founder of the Tamilga Vaazhvurimai Katchi (TVK), has made a grand entry into Tamil Nadu politics.

With action-packed sequences similar to his films, Vijay broke the stronghold of Dravidian politics in his very first electoral outing, achieving a feat no one had anticipated - and proved himself as an alternative that had been long awaited. He single-handedly led his party to a resounding victory, not only defeating the ruling DMK but also pushing the AIADMK to third place.

Vijay's immense popularity has broken the over half-a-century-old bipolar Dravidian politics. In this election, Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin faced defeat in the Kolathur constituency, while several of his cabinet colleagues also lost their seats, making it clear that Vijay has emerged as a powerful force in Tamil Nadu politics.

Stalin was defeated by his close rival and former DMK MLA, VAS Babu (TVK), by over 9,000 votes, which marked his first defeat in four elections, having won consecutively in 2011, 2016, and 2021.

TVK emerged as the largest party in its very first electoral victory, however, fell short of the required 118 seats for a simple majority.

Given that TVK was founded only in 2024, the significance of this victory is all the more important. Vijay won with a huge majority in both the Perambur and Trichy East constituencies in Chennai.

Tamil Nadu has once again proven that there is a deep connection between cinema and politics. Vijay has converted his popularity into a strong political force, which has now become a permanent fixture.

He projects himself as a Dravidian alternative, not a nationalist, as national parties have failed to present a strong alternative here since 1967, when the DMK, led by CN Annadurai, dislodged the Congress from power.

Born into an interfaith family on June 22, 1974, Vijay began his film career as a child artist in his father SA Chandrasekhar's films. His first major film was 'Naalaya Theerpu' (1992). Initially, he acted in romantic films, before taking on roles that established him as a champion of justice.

Over the past decade, his popularity increased through several blockbuster films, and a well-organized network of his fans emerged, which is active in social service and on social media.

Although he did not complete his graduation from Loyola College, Chennai, he has been hosting events to honor outstanding students in the field of education, further strengthening his public image.

Even before entering politics, he had raised his voice against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and GST in his film 'Sarkar'. In the 2021 local body elections, his fans participated and some even won.

At the time of TVK's formation, Vijay had stated that he was leaving his flourishing film career to enter politics and had declared 'Jnanayagan' as his last film.

At 51, he is now on his way to becoming the Chief Minister, although the record for the youngest CM is held by Jayalalithaa, who assumed the office at the age of 43.

Prior to the elections, Vijay faced several challenges, including a stampede in Coimbatore that killed 41 people, his last film 'Jnanayagan' facing censorship-related controversy, and his wife, Sangeetha, filing for divorce.

Despite all these difficulties, Vijay put up a brave fight and achieved victory in his very first electoral attempt, creating a new history, and emerging as a strong alternative by surpassing both the DMK and the AIADMK.

As per his political narrative, the contest is now directly between the TVK and the DMK, while the BJP has been termed an ideological rival.

UNI