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Informist, Tuesday, Apr. 21, 2026 

NEW DELHI – The boisterous entry of movie star Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam into Tamil Nadu politics has added a new element to the electoral contest in the state that has seen power alternating between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam since 1977.

The Tamil masses are known to adore, sometimes even worship, their cinema stars. No wonder then that rallies addressed by Vijay, whose real name is Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, have drawn massive crowds. However, political analysts say his party, formed only two years ago, lacks organisational depth and is relying mostly on social media campaigns to boost its reach.

Tamil Nadu is set to vote Thursday to elect its new legislative assembly, with 56.8 million voters expected to exercise their franchise across 75,032 polling stations. Multiple opinion polls are predicting a second successive term for Chief Minister M.K. Stalin with the DMK-led alliance projected to secure 170-180 seats, higher than its present tally of 158.

In 2021, the DMK-led alliance had snatched power from the AIADMK after 10 years, winning 133 of the 234 seats in the state assembly. The AIADMK had come a distant second with 66 seats. After five years, there is some anti-incumbency against the ruling party, but to what extent the Opposition will be able to take advantage of it remains to be seen.

The AIADMK has been battling factionalism since the death of its leader, J. Jayalalithaa, in 2016. With former chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami asserting control over the party, one faction already feels alienated. Palaniswami's rival for leadership, O. Panneerselvam, also a former chief minister, went over to the DMK earlier this year.

Adding to the AIADMK's troubles is the fact that the TVK's support base overlaps with segments of its own vote bank. Analysts say that in the current scenario, Vijay's party appears to be less of a threat to the ruling party and more of a headache for its opponents. Even a modest vote share of 5% for Vijay may affect outcomes in dozens of seats, to the detriment of the Opposition. While there is some dissatisfaction with the government, the possible split in opposition votes is likely to prevent the sentiment becoming a decisive factor.

Meanwhile, the DMK has deployed Kamal Haasan to counter Vijay's star power in the high-stakes battle in Chennai district, where Stalin, his son Udhayanidhi, as well as Vijay are in the fray. While Stalin is contesting from Kolathur and Udhayanidhi from Chepauk, Vijay has entered the fray in Perambur.

The Indian National Congress is contesting 28 seats as part of the DMK-led alliance. The Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to piggyback on the AIADMK to make inroads in a state that has stubbornly rejected communal politics. Tamil Nadu politics revolves around Dravidian pride with a focus on welfare programmes, the planks the DMK is putting forth. The results will be out on May 4.  End

Reported by Asim Khan

Edited by Rajeev Pai

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