Vijay must have gained the confidence to plunge into politics from the familiar sight — decades of watching devoted fans put up posters, fix flex banners, tie flags, and chant his name outside cinema halls. Rajinikanth, despite enjoying a similar or an even larger fan following, hesitated. But Vijay, just in his 50s, would have thought that he has age to his benefit.
His stardom has ensured wide media coverage while his young fans, or the virtual warriors as Vijay calls them, ensure social media dominance. People have already given their verdict that Vijay is a star his producers can bank on. But whether they think he is a bankable politician capable of delivering good governance will only be known after the 2026 polls.
To dismiss criticisms of being a newbie with a party sans strong organisational base Vijay repeatedly alludes that he will achieve what late chief ministers CN Annadurai and MG Ramachandran achieved, conveniently ignoring their long political journey until then. His strategy team reportedly predicts his party, the TVK will, to cross the 25%-30% vote share. These assertions could easily be dismissed as being fanciful.
However, the crowd he attracts and the largely unscathed following even after the stampede during his rally in Karur that killed 41 people have made rival politicians wary of writing him off. The stakes are high. Vijay has declared ‘Jananayagan’ his final film, a move that leaves him little room for retreat. His own dialogue — “Once I make a decision, I won’t listen to myself” — now reads less like bravado, and more like a self-imposed trap. The Vijayakant precedent offers a sobering benchmark.
In 2006, despite his image of being a big-hearted person, he secured just 8.32% of votes and a single seat. Vijay, arguably the bigger cinema star, is expecting 2026 to make him the CM. He doesn’t have to wait the whole year though. By May, he would know whether his political debut resembles his blockbuster ‘Thuppaki’, the middling ‘Varisu’ or his legendary flop ‘Sura’.