'Ajith can attract more crowds than Vijay': AIADMK takes a dig at TVK Chief raking up Ajith-Vijay fan fight

Even as massive crowd turnouts are seen at the rallies being held by actor-turned-politician and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay, who has been criticising both the ruling DMK and opposition AIADMK, former AIADMK minister K.T. Rajendra Balaji took a swipe at Vijay, claiming that compared to the crowds that come for the actor-politician's rally, when actor Ajith appears, the turnout is at least double.

The frequent box office clashes of Ajith Kumar and Vijay, two of Tamil cinema's major stars, have created a fan rivalry dating back to even the late 1990s and early 2000s, when both actors were emerging as leading stars of their generation. The AIADMK leader was hinting at this cinematic rivalry when taking a dig at the TVK chief.

Balaji observed that late actor-politician Vijayakanth had well-trained and loyal cadres, but so far, Vijay has not been able to build such a strong cadre base.

"Compared to the crowds that come for Vijay, when actor Ajith appears, the turnout is at least double. For Super Star Rajinikanth, it is even bigger. If Rajini simply arrives at the airport and stands there, five lakh people will gather just to see him. Rajini still carries that kind of mass appeal," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

He claimed that if Vijay at least wants to secure a pass mark in politics, he must ally with AIADMK under Edappadi Palaniswami’s leadership and added that if this does not happen, the DMK will "finish him off."

He alleged that if Vijay contests alone, people in the state will only see it as helping the DMK, and at that point, as an alternative to DMK, the people will choose AIADMK.

Meanwhile, DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu claimed that although Vijay has started a political party, he speaks as if he is still in the movies.

Alleging that Vijay has been backed by the BJP, he said, " The BJP is pushing certain people to form political parties and pressure the state government. His tone, when he threatens the chief minister, makes it clear that Vijay is being directed by the BJP."