CHENNAI: When actor Vijay launched the TVK in February 2024 and declared he would contest all 234 Assembly constituencies without alliances, it was widely dismissed as yet another star-led political experiment.
The verdict on May 4, however, has emphatically upended that perception. In his maiden electoral outing, Vijay has steered his party to emerge as the single largest formation, a performance that places him next only to MGR in terms of impact in a debut election.
Tamil Nadu has seen several actors venture into politics, but Vijay’s ascent is striking for its lack of political lineage or organisational inheritance. Even before this Assembly breakthrough, his grassroots base had shown early signs of electoral traction: as many as 129 members of the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam won in the local body elections in 2021 without the backing of any political party.
When MGR founded the AIADMK in 1972 and went to the polls in 1977, he contested 200 seats and won 130, securing a 30.4 per cent vote share. Importantly, he carried with him years of organisational experience within the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, along with a vast and loyal fan base cultivated over decades in cinema. He went on to form the government as chief minister.
Later actor-led political ventures have struggled to achieve comparable success. Vijayakanth’s Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam contested 232 seats in 2006 but managed to win just one, with an 8.4% vote share and a large number of forfeited deposits. Kamal Haasan’s MNM drew a blank in 2021 despite contesting 180 seats. Earlier attempts by T Rajendhar and Sivaji Ganesan had met with limited or no electoral success.
In contrast, Vijay’s tally of 108 seats from 234 contested marks a distinct break from past trends. Crucially, each of these victories has come without the backing of an alliance, underscoring a standalone mandate secured on his party’s symbol against both entrenched Dravidian majors.
The closest historical parallel remains NT Rama Rao, who founded the Telugu Desam Party in 1982 and swept to power within nine months, winning 198 of the 288 seats contested. Yet, unlike MGR and NTR, Vijay remains short of a majority by 11 seats.
His campaign, too, was marked by setbacks, including a fatal tragedy at a Karur rally that forced a temporary suspension of outreach efforts.