Actor Vijay has officially taken the plunge into active politics by launching his party. Called Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVM), Vijay’s party will contest the 2026 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
Vijay is the latest addition to the long list of cinema actors taking the political plunge in the land of Dravidian politics. Vijay’s entry is at a time when the political equations in the state are changing - the growing anti-incumbency against the DMK, and AIADMK is at a crossroads and the BJP trying to make inroads. Though Vijay’s fan club, Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (TVMI), has been working on the ground for the past few years and has won a considerable number in the 2021 local body polls, Vijay is termed as a political novice.
In his first-ever official statement about his political ambitions, Vijay made it clear that politics is not just another career for him but people's work for which he has been preparing himself for a long time. “It is a sacred people’s work. I have been preparing myself for it for a long time. Politics is not a hobby for me. That is my deepest desire. I want to fully involve myself in it.” However, Vijay aims to give a corruption-free and caste-free administration. “You are all aware of the current political climate. Administrative malpractices and corrupt political culture on the one hand and a divisive political culture on the other hand strive to divide our people on the lines of caste and religion. Everyone, especially, in Tamil Nadu is yearning for a fundamental political change that can lead to a selfless, transparent, caste-free, visionary, corruption-free and efficient administration.”
He also said that his movement will be making an application with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to register the party. “We are making an application today to the EC to register our party ‘Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam.’ Our goal is to contest and win the upcoming 2026 assembly elections and bring about the fundamental political change that people want.”
Though Vijay has plans to contest the 2026 polls, sources close to him say that he chose to register the party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, as his well-wishers anticipate that the ECI might lose its autonomy if the BJP returns to power after the ensuing Lok Sabha polls and he might face challenges even in terms of registration after that. According to highly placed sources in TVMI, the members of the fan club will be offering prayers at temples, mosques and churches for the launch of the party. Vijay is likely to meet the TVMI district secretaries on February 4.
