Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, popularly known as ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay, has delivered a stellar performance in his electoral debut as the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) crossed the majority mark in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections.
As the Election Commission of India continues the counting of votes, the TVK has stormed past MK Stalin’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), reports Hindustan Times.
After initially touching a lead of nearly 170 seats and subsequently dipping, the party has once again crossed the magic figure of 118, currently leading in over 120 seats.
Vijay himself maintains a lead in both constituencies he is contesting – Perambur and Trichy (East) — the latter of which is officially recorded by the Election Commission as Tiruchirapalli.
A solo strategy
The TVK opted for a solo strategy, contesting all 234 assembly constituencies independently. This decision turned the polls into an intense three-way battle between TVK, DMK, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Vijay has positioned his party on modern Dravidian principles, describing the DMK as an “evil force” and the BJP as an “ideological opponent”.
Regarding his decision to eschew alliances, Vijay previously stated, “This force of TVK will win even if no friendship force (alliance) is with us”.
TVK General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna also revealed that the party chief had declined an offer for the chief minister’s post and 50 per cent of the assembly seats from an undisclosed party to maintain this independent stance.
Political vision
Launched on 2 February 2024 and officially registered on 8 September 2024, the TVK was established with the specific goal of contesting the 2026 assembly elections.
Vijay has expressed his intention to script a success story similar to that of the legendary actor and AIADMK leader MG Ramachandran.
The single-phase elections were held on 23 April 2026, recording a significant voter turnout of 85.10 per cent. In the seats contested by Vijay, Perambur recorded a turnout of 89.74 per cent, while Trichy East saw 81.77 per cent.
The ‘X factor’
While various pollsters had projected different outcomes – ranging from Matrize’s prediction of 10-12 seats to Axis My India’s projection of 98-120 seats – Vijay has emerged as the definitive “X factor” in the state’s political landscape. Political strategist Niranjan Ramesh Babu noted that Vijay’s performance reflects his ambition to be the “main face” and a “future political leader”.
The Election Commission is expected to announce the final results shortly.
