Joseph Vijay: From Tamil Cinema Superstar to Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister

Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, popularly known as Thalapathy Vijay, entered Tamil Nadu’s political arena in February 2024 by launching Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), a new party he formed to contest all 234 Assembly seats independently. Despite skepticism about his political ambitions, TVK stunned observers in the May 2026 Assembly elections by winning 108 seats and securing 34.92% of the vote share, making it the largest party in the state. The party later formed a governing coalition with support from Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK, and IUML, crossing the majority threshold of 118 seats. Vijay’s political rise was built on his pre-existing fan network, Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (VMI), which had already demonstrated electoral influence by winning 129 local body seats in 2021 without formal party backing. By late 2025, TVK claimed over 15 million registered members, reflecting Vijay’s strong appeal among younger and first-time voters. The party positioned itself as a secular, anti-corruption alternative to Tamil Nadu’s established Dravidian parties, DMK and AIADMK, while framing the BJP as an ideological opponent. TVK’s electoral success marked a departure from past attempts by film stars in Tamil Nadu politics, as Vijay did not inherit an existing party structure like MGR, who founded AIADMK in 1972. Instead, he relied on grassroots mobilization and welfare initiatives through VMI, which had already established a presence in local governance. His victory in 2026 was seen as a historic shift, with comparisons drawn to MGR’s political ascent, though Vijay’s foundation was built from scratch rather than within an existing party. The 2026 election results transformed Vijay from a cinema icon into a political leader, with his party winning a majority through both direct seats and post-poll alliances. This achievement solidified TVK’s role as the dominant political force in Tamil Nadu, reshaping the state’s political dynamics. Vijay’s government’s future performance will determine whether his political experiment endures or fades like previous actor-led ventures in the state.