Vijay balances Dravidianism with secularism, throws in some Tamil pride

Corruption and divisive forces are the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s (TVK) political enemies, president of the fledgling party, actor-turned-politician Vijay revealed at his maiden political speech on Sunday (October 27). TVK's policies will be a mix of Dravidianism and secularism with a seasoning of Tamil pride, he hinted.

The 50-year-old superstar — fondly known as 'Thalapathy' (commander) among his fans — ended the long wait by staging the first political conference of the TVK at Vikiravandi in Villupuram district, close to Chennai.

While not naming any party or leader, Vijay thundered that his party will never tolerate corruption, leading political observers to suggest that it may be a veiled attack on the ruling DMK.

Open to sharing power

During his maiden speech before a two lakh-strong crowd, Vijay said he would contest the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, and that he is open to sharing power with likeminded parties.

“We have unshakeable faith in the people that they would make us victorious with a single majority (in the upcoming 2026 Assembly polls). If parties wish to form alliances, we will give them a share of power in governance,” he said.

Watch: Vijay's speech | What TVK leader said on corruption, religion, women's participation

Tempting to other players

Senior journalist and political commentator R Rangaraj told The Federal that TVK’s power-sharing offer might tempt a few parties.

“Vijay made a clever move by mentioning that he was ready for power-sharing in governance. This will tempt parties such as the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), which had earlier shown interest. However, both DMK and AIADMK leaders have outright rejected the idea,” Rangaraj said.

In stark contrast to another actor-turned-politician, DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin, who vocally rejected Sanatana Dharma following his party’s ideological stance, Vijay emphasised that he has respect for all religions, and would not accept atheism.

However, in the same breath, he made it clear that he is against divisive forces.

Potential vote catcher

“At the outset, he accepts spirituality but rejects fundamentalism and wants to fight against corruption. Though this policy mix is not a new flavour in the Dravidian land, Vijay could be a vote catcher as parties such as AIADMK and DMK lack a charismatic person,” observed Rangaraj.

He further said Vijay’s fans appear impressed to see their hero as a politician, offering criticisms and assuring his fight in the 2026 Assembly polls.

"Many young fans of Vijay — both male and female — would be eager to vote for him,” he said.

Watch: Secular social justice: Will Vijay's political stance pay off?

Eye on change

Explaining the core ideologies of his party, Vijay said the TVK will follow the paths laid down by Periyar EV Ramasamy, K Kamaraj, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Velu Nachiar, and Anjalai Ammal.

He wants to include the policies of social justice and women’s empowerment put forth by Dravidian leader Periyar, said Vijay.

He added that the need to change and evolve is not confined to science and technology but also to politics. He will bring about a change through his newly founded party, he said.

A touch of nervousness?

Senior journalist R Elangovan said he noticed a slight lack of confidence in Vijay as he faced the mammoth crowd on his debut as a politician.

The actor was bewildered and not sure of his presentation, Elangovan told The Federal. Vijay appeared nervous as he failed to gather his thoughts and asked the audience to excuse him twice to read from his prepared scripts, he added.

“Though he read from a ready script, he looked at the crowd with a puzzled expression. He clearly criticised the DMK by mentioning 'a party that campaigns on the Dravidian model but engages in dynasty politics'. However, in criticising divisive forces and bigotry, he was reluctant to drop any hints,” Elangovan observed.

“It will take time for him to understand the functioning of a political party. At the same time, it was encouraging to see him mention decent politics and not engage in petty fights,” he told The Federal.

Watch: Vijay’s political debut: Chaos engulfs TVK event even before kick-off

Focus on equality

Vijay also made many references to women’s empowerment, proportional reservation based on caste census, and implementing equality. He said women would play a vital role in his political journey.

Recalling the tragic death by suicide of Ariyalur student Anitha over theNEET issue, Vijay stated it raised many questions.

He decided to enter politics to give back to the people (read students) who call him “Vijay Anna” (brother) out of love, he added.

Shunning limelight

Vijay, whose latest Tamil film Greatest of All Time (GOAT) performed well at the box-office, said he was shunning his film career and the hefty pay cheques at the peak of stardom to serve people through politics. He would not look back, he said.

His critics may call him "just an actor", but the late MG Ramachandran (MGR) and NT Rama Rao (NTR) were also leading actors before they took the political plunge and served people, Vijay reminded the crowds.

While MGR founded the AIADMK and was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu till his death in 1987, NTR founded the TDP and ruled Andhra Pradesh.

Also read: Vijay’s TVK to fight 2026 polls; ending guv post, 2-language policy on agenda

Shades of MGR?

So, can Vijay’s maiden effort be compared to that of MGR, whose AIADMK emerged as a major player in Tamil Nadu politics? Elangovan does not believe so.

“MGR’s maiden speech was mostly about how he was ousted from the DMK when he exposed corruption. Though he had problems in establishing his district-level units, he succeeded as he was already popular — not only as an actor but also as a Dravidian politician,” he argued.

Watch | Actor Vijay banking on 'Tamil nationalism' in Dravidian heartland?

“In the case of Vijay, however, it will take him time to grow in politics. The two (MGR and Vijay) cannot be compared because both of them might be popular film stars but the political field has changed over the years,” he added.