CHENNAI: Is actor Vijay getting ready to step into the State’s political arena? He has set tongues wagging by meeting his fans who won seats in the recent local body elections.
According to an official statement from the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (VMI) headquarters, the outfit bagged 129 posts in the rural local body elections held in nine districts.
With 14 of his fans becoming village panchayat presidents — the top post in a village — Vijay recently met and interacted with them. He advised them to live up to the expectations of people who reposed faith in them.
Commenting on the victories, a district functionary of VMI, on condition of anonymity, told TNIE, “This is not the first election for VMI. Our fans already contested in the 2019 rural local body election for about 400 posts and emerged as winners in 128 of them. However, in 2019, Vijay didn’t permit us to use his photo and the VMI flag. In the previous election and this time, he allowed us to use his photo and flag. That’s the only difference.”
Another functionary told TNIE, “Vijay’s photo and the VMI flag did the trick. This is evident from the fact that we only contested 159 posts and won 129. That is a strike rate of over 80 per cent. In the recent meeting, the actor gave his approval for drawing up a strategy for the upcoming urban civic polls too. We have already appointed five fans for every ward to carry out election work and identify potential candidates.”
According to a VMI district president, the fan club has six wings at the district level, such as the students wing, youth wing, women’s wing, cadre wing, trade union and farmers’ wing.
Besides, work is on to establish an advocates’ wing. The VMI has also appointed booth committees across the State.
Vijay personally verified the details of booth committees for around 110 Assembly constituencies before the Covid-19 outbreak.
Soon, he will verify the booth committee details of the remaining constituencies as well.
Commenting on the emergence of the VMI in the electoral arena, veteran journalist T Koodalarasan told TNIE, “I think ‘Vijay fans’ did not emerge as winners. Rather, the winners are affiliated to the VMI. Hence, the winnability primarily depended on their influence in the respective area. If Vijay fails to further their political ambitions, they will move to some other parties.”
He further said actor-turned-politician Vijayakant launched the DMDK after the success of his fans in the local body polls in 2001.
Vijay also has the same choice but it all depends on whether he has “the guts and political will” to oppose the two Dravidian majors and carve a space for himself in the State’s political landscape.
With Vijay also permitting his fans to fight urban civic polls to gauge the strength of his fans and their organising skills, many are drawing parallels with Vijayakant’s early political moves.
Will TN’s political space soon see another actor lead a political party?