04 May,2026 09:25 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Vijay (Pic/X)
Actor-turned-politician Vijay's TVK has emerged as the front-runner to form the government in Tamil Nadu, causing massive havoc in Tamil Nadu's political space. On his debut, Vijay and his party beat political heavyweights Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the two main players in the state for decades.
After his historic debut, Vijay made his first appearance to greet hundreds of supporters gathered outside his parents' residence in Chennai on Monday evening.
Vijay is seen dressed in a white shirt, waving at the crowd and smiling as people cheered loudly for him. The actor-turned-politician also acknowledged the support from hundreds of people gathered outside his parents' residence in Chennai with folded hands.
With his win, Vijay has joined the league of iconic actor-turned-leaders like NT Rama Rao, MG Ramachandran, and J Jayalalithaa, who went on to assume the Chief Minister's chair. His party has been leading since early trends in the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly, according to the last ECI trends.
In February 2024, Vijay announced his political debut, revealing that he would contest in the 2026 elections. He also launched the TVK party and held his first public rally in October 2024. Ever since, the actor has toured many regions of the state to hold rallies and share his election manifesto directly with the people. His rallies have witnessed massive turnout, with one even causing a stampede in Karur that led to the death of 41 people.
Meanwhile, Vijay refused to form an alliance with any central or regional party before he contested his debut election. Filmmaker Sundar C contested in alliance with AIADMK, while Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) had joined hands with the DMK right before the election.
With Vijay potentially becoming the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu now, the Jana Nayagan actor is expected to take a step back from cinema. Meanwhile, his final film, Jana Nayagan, is yet to be certified by the CBFC, and has been facing multiple roadblocks like delay since January, online leaks, protests and more.
