Over the past few days, the talk in Tamil Nadu’s political circles has centered around actor Vijay’s debut speech and its impact.

One rally in Vikravandi was attended by several tens of thousands of party supporters and cadres. In fact, in recent years, no other political party launch had seen the kind of crowd that Vijay had attracted. So clearly, Tamil Nadu politics has got back a crowd puller after the deaths of Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa. So that is a positive for Vijay. At least 50% of the crowd that turned out at the rally was an organic crowd, and it comprised a significant section of youth and in good measure women as well.

Now let’s take a look at the speech he made. This was the rally, where Vijay chose to explain where his party stands in terms of its ideologies. Eight months ago, when he mooted the idea of floating the TVK, he had made it clear that his politics would be against corruption and divisiveness. He has stuck to that script in a speech which appeared to be more scripted and well practiced and delivered in a very high, powerful tone.

He explained that his party will be ideologically opposed to sectarian forces. At the same time, the party’s political enemy, according to him, will be a family that has been ruling Tamil Nadu in the name of Dravida model invoking the names of Periyar and Anna.

In fact, he explained that he does not want to name anybody or indulge in name calling, but he left no one in doubt that he was ideologically opposed to the BJP and politically opposed to the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu. He remained silent about the AIADMK, a political party which has cumulatively ruled Tamil Nadu for the longest period.

What were the other things that stood out in his speech? How would it impact the ruling DMK?

Script and presentation: D. Suresh Kumar

Editing: Shibu Narayan

Chennai:

The Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu are a year and a half away but the ruling DMK is already gearing up for them, with party chief and Chief Minister MK Stalin calling for a meeting of constituency observers in Chennai on Monday. 

MK Stalin is aiming to secure a second straight win in the Assembly polls and a fourth consecutive election win after leading the DMK to massive victories in Tamil Nadu in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 and 2024 and the Assembly polls in 2021. 

To achieve this, the DMK has already constituted an Assembly Election Coordination Committee, comprising Udhayanidhi Stalin – Mr Stalin’s son who was elevated to the post of deputy chief minister last month – and senior leaders KN Nehru, Thangam Thennarasu and EV Velu. The chief minister will also review poll preparedness in districts across the state.

Party sources said the entry of superstar Vijay, who has launched his party Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), into Tamil Nadu politics is one of the main reasons for DMK’s early start in election preparations. 

The TVK will make its electoral debut in the 2026 Assembly polls and while it is unclear what impact it will eventually have, given that other big actors like Sivaji Ganesan, Vijayakanth and Kamal Haasan have not left a huge mark politically, the sources said the DMK is not taking any chances.

Vijay’s supporters point out that, unlike some of the other recent entrants, the actor is making his political foray at a time when he is at the peak of his popularity. The DMK understands this as well and the elevation of Udhayanidhi Stalin was also seen as a way of countering Vijay’s appeal. 

Another challenge that the DMK is facing is that parties like the Congress, the Tholkappiyan Thirumavalavan-led VCK, and the Left may expect a bigger share of power if the alliance wins the Assembly elections. This is exacerbated by the fact that the TVK and the AIADMK – which has severed ties with the BJP and is no longer untouchable – present an opportunity for the DMK’s allies to explore alternative alliances.

The AIADMK is, however, not seen to be a very attractive proposition given the divisions within it and the fact that it has not done well in recent elections, and the TVK is yet to prove its popularity. 

The BJP, which has a negligible presence in the state, may fight alone, as may the Seeman-led NTK, setting the stage for a five-cornered fight with the DMK alliance, the AIADMK and the TVK.