Tamil Nadu polls: Is there any space for Vijay’s TVK in the duopoly between DMK-AIADMK? | India News

New Delhi: Ahead of the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, actor Vijay Thalapathy has positioned himself as the people’s alternative in a state where politics, for long, has revolved around. DMK And AIADMK.Due to its ideological differences with the NDA and political conflict with the DMK, the TVK has emerged as the third option for Tamil voters, fielding candidates in all 234 seats.So, will the test meet the expectations of victory? Well, there’s a fighting chance.Why victory stands a chance Tamil Nadu ElectionsOver the years, the competition has mainly been between DMK and AIADMK-led fronts. Since 1967, these two parties have alternated governance with other parties in their respective alliances.However, the upcoming elections look set to become a trifecta, as a significant section of the electorate has chosen not to align with Dravidian parties over the years.In the 2016 Assembly elections, the AIADMK won 134 seats and polled over 40 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, DMK won 89 seats with a vote share of 32.1 percent. This indicates that about 20 percent of the votes were distributed between the BJP and other parties including the Left parties. A similar pattern emerged in the 2021 elections. The AIADMK-BJP alliance polled 39.71 percent of the vote, while the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance polled about 45 percent. In both elections, about one-fifth of the electorate voted for parties outside the two major coalitions. These non-unity votes – roughly translating to 15-20 percent – remain crucial to the emergence of the Third Front.However, this does not mean that this huge vote will necessarily go in favor of TVK.Will TVK succeed?As part of this strategy, Vijay, in his party manifesto, announced a number of public welfare promises for women.The key assurance includes cash assistance of Rs 2,500 per month to female heads of households up to the age of 60, against Rs 1,000 currently given to eligible female heads who meet certain socio-economic criteria under the Kalaignar Magali Urimai Thogai (KMUT) scheme.Vijay said that women employed with state and central governments will not be eligible for assistance.Other schemes include six free LPG cylinders under ‘Annapurani Super Six Scheme’, free bus rides for women in all government buses under ‘Vetri Payanam Scheme’, Rs 15,000 per year as assistance to mothers or guardians of children to ensure zero dropout in schools under ‘Eight Golden Kamrajarchem with Kamrajarchevi’. Sarees for married women under the ‘Annan Seer Scheme’, and a gold ring with a baby welcome kit for each new born.

Meanwhile, Vijay and his party reached out to the Christian minority vote as well. He introduced himself as Joseph Vijay and made a clarion call to minority voters.Moreover, TVK has been successful in attracting crowds. In October 2024, TVK attracted more than 8 lakh people during its first state conference in Vikravandi. Thousands of people attend Vijay’s rally to hear him speak or catch a glimpse of him.The superstar has fans of every class, gender and age in different regions of Tamil Nadu. Unlike many film stars, Vijay’s supporters are organized and politically active. In the 2021 local body elections, his “fan club” candidates won 115 of the 169 seats.His fan clubs have also taken on the role of foot soldiers on social media and conduct regular blood donation camps, free medical check-ups, education aid drives and disaster relief activities.“TVK’s social media army is the biggest in India — not just what we claim, but what others are saying after seeing it You are no longer just a fan on social media; You are the virtual warrior of TVK,” he said.Yet, Tamil Nadu’s electoral history suggests that mass gatherings do not automatically translate into seat changes.Booth-level organization, caste math, and alliance math continue to play a decisive role — factors that even popular actors have struggled to master in their first election outings.Victory Stardom: A Boon or BaneTamil Nadu film stars often enjoy deified status, with fans performing rituals such as pouring milk over giant cut-outs before film releases. Some even have temples dedicated to them across the state.However, this huge popularity did not always translate into electoral success.Kamal Haasan entered politics in February 2018 by launching Makkal Nidhi Mayam, presenting it as a moderate alternative to both DMK and AIADMK. However, the party failed to win any seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Hasan contested from Coimbatore South but lost, when the party managed just over 2.6 percent of the total vote share.

Rajinikanth also created a stir by announcing plans to launch a political party and contest all 234 assembly seats. But he later reversed his decision citing health concerns and chose not to enter active politics.Once, Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami remarked that “Vijay may be a good actor but not a leader.”Similarly, TVK founder has also been targeted in the tragedy of September 27, 2025, which left 41 people dead and many injured.The CBI has been hounding Vijay, taking up a significant chunk of his time that could otherwise be used for pre-election strategy or campaigning.Additionally, critics argue that Vijay has no experience in politics. Its heavy reliance on Vijay’s personal charisma raises questions about depth and scalability.Absence of governance experience and absence of a second tier of leadership increases skepticism among voters, especially in rural areas. Candidate selection, largely dependent on newcomers, can also affect electoral credibility. The Central Investigating Agency has questioned the TVK chief several times.Politically, the implications of the investigation remain unclear. While rival parties have tried to spin the tramp as evidence of administrative inexperience, parts of Vijay’s support base see the investigation as pressure politics — a narrative that can either erode trust or rally sympathy, depending on how the case approaches the polls.How DMK and AIADMK are planning to tackle TVKBoth the fronts have expanded their alliances by adding more parties to counter the loss of votes. The DMK included parties like the DMDK, while the NDA included TTV Dinakaran’s AMMK.Meanwhile, leaders like Seeman and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) are also looking to break the ceiling of relevance.NTK’s support remained essentially a vote share without securing seats. In the 2021 elections, NTK got 6.6% vote share, higher than BJP and Congress. The central question now is whether that support can eventually translate into seats.Polling for the 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly will be held on April 23, and counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.