Vijay’s TVK completes one year, but it has long way to go in a short span

A year after Tamil cinema’s leading star Vijay took to social media to announce the launch of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) — originating from his fan club-turned-welfare organisation — the political party is yet to make a significant impact or emerge as a disruptor in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.

Barring his maiden public meeting in Vikravandi, a visit to Parandur to oppose the proposed land acquisition for the new airport for Chennai, and his participation in a book launch function, the actor-politician has confined himself to issuing political statements and appointing office-bearers for his party.

Positioning the party against politics of “corruption” and “divisiveness”, where it perceives the ruling DMK as its political enemy and the BJP as an ideological foe, Mr. Vijay has chosen to wait till the 2026 Assembly poll to pose an electoral challenge.

According to R. Kannan, the author of The DMK Years and biographer of Dravidian stalwarts C.N. Annadurai and M.G. Ramachandran, Mr. Vijay should have capitalised on the momentum gained after his party’s inaugural political conference. He should have fielded a candidate in the Erode (East) Assembly byelection, and worked hard for two weeks by going door-to-door to show that he was a force to be reckoned with.

“That would have drawn attention to him, regardless of the electoral outcome. As it stands, his strength remains untested. Given the limited time of another 14-15 months until the Assembly election, Mr. Vijay needs to immerse himself fully in politics, express his views thoughtfully on issues, and engage with the public regularly, not just with his party colleagues,” Mr. Kannan added.

He should also undertake a State-wide tour to assess his strength at the grassroots level, and hold regional conferences — all towards preparing himself and his party for the 2026 election, Mr. Kannan said, adding: “Besides, he should focus on building a strong alliance, similar to what actor-politician Pawan Kalyan did in Andhra Pradesh.” According to G. Palanithurai, a veteran academician, the TVK had to make a few structural and functional corrections in its approach. “Structurally, it needs to strengthen booth committees. When MGR started the AIADMK, he already had trained foot soldiers to ensure the party’s presence at booth level. Within a year, his party created a strong base at the grassroots. Strengthening booth committees would create a sense of responsibility among cadre,” he added.

“In its functional approach, the party should not only take up larger issues, but also problems affecting the common man. The party should have more clarity on its perspectives. Mr. Vijay should come out of headquarters performance get on the ground, and listen to the people. He should consistently interact with the media, which is a powerful tool to convey his stand on various issues to the larger public,” he further said.

However, A. Rajmohan, TVK propaganda secretary, said, “Mr. Vijay’s politics started not just a year ago. He was in welfare politics for a long time. He also stood by people on several occasions, including participating in a hunger-strike against the killing of Sri Lankan Tamils in 2008, meeting the survivors of Thoothukudi police firing, and the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy. It is just that he entered electoral politics a year ago. He would continue to be on the ground, and interact with people in the coming months.”

Besides, Mr. Rajmohan pointed out that the TVK’s statements on various issues in Tamil Nadu focused on providing solutions, as against merely indulging in a blame game. “As a party we have a mission and vision. Our objective is to reach out to people at the grassroot level and stand by them on various issues,” he added.