Tamil Nadu, India<\/strong> \u2013 Standing on top of a customised van on a hot and humid afternoon in Tirunelveli, about 600km (373 miles) south of Tamil Nadu\u2019s capital Chennai in southern India, C Joseph Vijay tells his supporters his opponents have joined hands to stop him from becoming the state chief minister.<\/p>\n \u201cMy rivals might appear different from outside, but they have only one aim: that Vijay should not become the chief minister,\u201d says the 51-year-old actor-turned-politician to a mammoth crowd that begins to chant his name, which means \u201cvictory\u201d in Tamil, in unison.<\/p>\n Tamil Nadu, one of India\u2019s most developed states with impressive human development indices, also has a long history of electing film stars as leaders, some of whom are still revered by people as demigods years after their deaths.<\/p>\n As Tamil Nadu votes on Thursday to elect its 234-member state legislative assembly, Vijay\u2019s bid for power is the latest addition to the state\u2019s trend of film star-politicians, turning a traditionally bipolar battle into a triangular contest.<\/p>\n Vijay entered politics with much fanfare when he launched the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party in 2024, promising to end the decades-old dominance of the governing Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the main opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).<\/p>\n Incumbent Chief Minister MK Stalin leads the DMK and its 14-party Secular Progressive Alliance, in which the Indian National Congress is a junior partner. On the other hand, opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami of the AIADMK heads the 10-party National Democratic Alliance, which also includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).<\/p>\n The DMK and the AIADMK identify themselves as Dravidian parties, which derive their names from a powerful political and social justice movement in Tamil Nadu that opposed caste inequalities, championed social reforms, and rejected perceived attempts by India\u2019s more dominant north Indian parties to impose Hindi \u2013 and upper-caste Hindu values \u2013 on the non-Hindi speaking southern states.<\/p>\n Dravidian parties have held power in Tamil Nadu continuously since 1967, with national parties like the Congress and the BJP playing secondary roles. While the BJP is contesting 27 seats in alliance with the AIADMK, the Congress is fighting for 28 seats as part of the DMK-led coalition.<\/p>\n More than 87 percent of Tamil Nadu\u2019s 72 million people are Hindu, followed by Christians at 6.1 percent and Muslims at 5.8 percent, according to the last census conducted in 2011.<\/p>\n Among Hindus, the so-called \u201cbackward\u201d or less-privileged castes constitute 45.5 percent, \u201cextremely backward\u201d castes 23.6 percent, while Dalits are at 20.6 percent. Dalits, formerly referred to as \u201cuntouchables\u201d, fall at the bottom of India\u2019s complex caste hierarchy and have faced marginalisation and violence for centuries.<\/p>\n Vijay, son of a Christian filmmaker father and a Hindu mother who is a background singer in films, belongs to the Vellalar community, an affluent agrarian group in Tamil Nadu with both Hindu and Christian members.<\/p>\n Vijay started his film career as a child actor in movies directed by his father. His 1992 debut as a hero, however, in Naalaiya Theerpu (Tomorrow\u2019s Verdict), flopped. Following the setback, his father cast him alongside popular star Vijayakanth \u2014 who later founded his own political outfit, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) \u2014 in Senthoorapandi (1993), which gave his career a new lease of life.<\/p>\n It was the 2004 film Ghilli (Gutsy), which carried a subtle political undertone, that catapulted Vijay to superstar status. He dropped hints about his political ambitions in the 2013 hit Thalaivaa (Leader), which was launched with the tagline: \u201cTime to Lead\u201d.<\/p>\n Soon, political messaging became central to many of Vijay\u2019s subsequent films. Even the title of his yet-to-be-released Jana Nayagan (People\u2019s Leader) \u2014 which he claims will be his final film \u2014 alludes to his political aspirations.<\/p>\n Riding on personal charisma, Vijay has attracted millions of supporters to his rallies, despite allegations of poor crowd management, which caused a stampede at one such gathering in September last year, killing 42 people.<\/p>\n He is expected to draw a share of Dalit and minority Christian votes that would have otherwise flowed to the DMK-led coalition. He is also banking on anti-incumbency votes that could have benefitted the AIADMK alliance.<\/p>\n Yet analysts say Vijay\u2019s ambition of becoming the next chief minister will not be as easy as the scripted blockbusters he has built his career on, since he faces two opponents with decades of experience in real politics.<\/p>\n That leads political commentator R Kannan to describe Vijay as \u201cboth a blessing and a curse\u201d for the two Dravidian coalitions.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the AIADMK joined the BJP-led NDA, many predicted the Dravidian party would lose heavily, with minorities and Dalits flocking to the DMK. Vijay\u2019s entry, however, has offered the AIADMK a ray of hope \u2014 he is expected to draw a decent share of votes that would otherwise have gone to the DMK,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the same time, he works in the DMK\u2019s favour by siphoning off anti-incumbency votes that might not entirely have gone to the AIADMK. For both Dravidian parties, he is at once a blessing and a curse.\u201d<\/p>\n Vijay is aiming to follow the path of illustrious predecessors: Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR, and his protege, Jayaram Jayalalithaa \u2013 Tamil Nadu\u2019s most beloved on-screen pair.<\/p>\n Born into poverty, MGR\u2019s rise to stardom was nothing short of phenomenal. He captured the imagination of Tamil Nadu\u2019s working class, who idolised him in return. From his first superhit, Rajakumari (Princess) in 1947, his films cast him as a champion of the masses, battling oppression and corrupt authority.<\/p>\n MGR launched the AIADMK in 1972 after breaking away from the DMK and served as Tamil Nadu\u2019s chief minister from 1977 to 1987. He introduced several welfare programmes, the most significant being a free meal scheme for schoolchildren in order to eliminate malnutrition and boost school enrolment.<\/p>\n His political heir, Jayalalithaa, was a six-time chief minister between 1991 and 2016, when she became India\u2019s first female state leader to die in office. She is remembered for launching several women-centric programmes, including all-women police stations and subsidised two-wheelers for working women, apart from her work in curbing female infanticide.<\/p>\n The DMK also has a history of film personalities, including the party\u2019s founder, CN Annadurai, who rose to fame as a pathbreaking scriptwriter with films like Velaikkari (1949), and MGR as the party\u2019s star campaigner and leader before he founded the AIADMK.<\/p>\n Soon, Muthuvel Karunanidhi emerged as another prominent writer, poet and screenwriter with films like Parasakthi (1952), meaning Supreme Power, often cited as a turning point in Tamil cinema. Directed by Krishnan-Panju and written by Karunanidhi, then 28 years old, the film fiercely attacked casteism and social inequality, while propelling the spread of the Dravidian ideology.<\/p>\n Karunanidhi, popularly known as Kalaignar (artist), wrote scripts for more than 75 films that resonated with the struggles of the working class, championing rationalism and social equality.<\/p>\n He won the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election for a record 13 terms and served as the state\u2019s chief minister for five terms between 1969 and 2011. He died at the age of 94 in 2018, when his son, Stalin, took over as chief minister and DMK chief.<\/p>\n Film star-politicians who embraced Tamil identity politics flourished, while those who did not fell by the wayside.<\/p>\n \u201cSuccessful leaders such as MGR, popularly known as Puratchi Thaalaivar [Revolutionary Leader], Jayalalithaa, who earned the monikers Puratchi Thalaivi [Revolutionary Female Leader] and Amma [Mother], embraced identity politics. Another popular film actor, Sivaji Ganesan, by contrast, could not make the same mark in politics even after he tried,\u201d said Kannan, who has written biographies of MGR and Annadurai.<\/p>\n In 2005, popular actor Vijayakanth added to the starry mix by launching his DMDK party, another Dravidian political outfit. He made every attempt to position his party as an alternative to the DMK and the AIADMK, but failed. The party won just one seat in 2006 \u2014 Vijayakanth\u2019s own \u2014 and drew a blank in 2009. Though he went on to become the leader of the opposition in the assembly in 2011, the election reverses forced him to seek alliances. The DMDK, now led by his wife Premalatha, is contesting 10 seats in alliance with the DMK.<\/p>\n Which is where, say analysts, Vijay\u2019s pitch for power is unlikely to make an impact in this election. They say his TVK party does not fall in the long line of Dravidian parties that have a distinct political ideology and programme that appeals to their voters.<\/p>\n \u201cTamil Nadu is an ideologically and politically evolved state. Issues such as social justice, centre-state relations, and linguistic and cultural identity are paramount here. People will not back a politician without a clear ideology,\u201d Ramu Manivannan, former professor of political science at the University of Madras, told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n Manivannan said large crowds at Vijay\u2019s rallies should not be mistaken for potential votes. \u201cFilm stars always attract crowds. To assume all of them will translate into votes is unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n Vijay\u2019s TVK is rooted in his fan clubs, which thrive on masculine aggression, said S Anandhi, retired professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies.<\/p>\n \u201cVijay\u2019s populist rhetoric \u2014 defying all authority \u2014 appeals strongly to the youth. But he never clarifies what he will actually do in power. He frames it as all established forces being arrayed against young men, and youngsters see this as an opportunity for a new kind of collectivisation. I would call it a dangerous class,\u201d she told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n Vijay appears to be banking heavily on two voter blocs: younger voters between 18 and 39 years, who number 23 million of the state\u2019s 57 million voters, and women, who account for more than half of them.<\/p>\n At his rallies packed with young people and women, Vijay has alleged that Stalin\u2019s true allies are \u201cbribery and corruption\u201d, framing the contest as a personal battle between himself and the chief minister.<\/p>\n Stalin, for his part, has largely brushed off Vijay\u2019s attacks. \u201cNewly-formed parties have a wrong notion that they can survive by criticising DMK,\u201d he said in a recent interview.<\/p>\n Instead, Stalin has focused his attacks on the Modi government, accusing it of depriving Tamil Nadu of its share of federal funds, and framing the election as a contest between Tamil Nadu and New Delhi \u2013 a ploy that simultaneously targets the AIADMK for allying with an \u201cadversary\u201d, the BJP.<\/p>\n The AIADMK\u2019s Palaniswami has countered by saying Stalin raises the centre-state issue only because he has \u201cno achievements of his own to show\u201d.<\/p>\n Despite their ideological differences, all parties are competing heavily on welfare promises in a state known for freebies during elections.<\/p>\n The DMK has pledged to double the monthly women\u2019s allowance to 2,000 rupees ($21), offer 8,000 rupees ($85) in home appliance coupons, and build one million homes for the poor over five years. The AIADMK, also promising a monthly allowance of 2,000 rupees for women, has additionally offered free refrigerators to the poor and a one-time family grant of 10,000 rupees ($106).<\/p>\n Vijay\u2019s TVK, hoping to cash in on the ongoing global fuel crisis, has promised six free LPG cylinders annually, 2,500 rupees ($26.5) monthly support for the female heads of a household, 8gm gold and a silk saree for poor women getting married, 4,000 rupees ($42.5) stipend for unemployed college graduates, and interest-free education loans of up to 2 million rupees ($21,257).<\/p>\n Still, Kannan feels Vijay can at best be a disruptor in the three-cornered contest.<\/p>\n \u201cVijay\u2019s campaign gained momentum in the final lap. He turned what was a bipolar contest into a three-cornered one. But apart from his personal charisma, he lacks proper organisational machinery. Many of his party\u2019s candidates are unknown faces,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Tamil Nadu, India \u2013 Standing on top of a customised van on a hot and humid afternoon in Tirunelveli, about 600km (373 miles) south of Tamil Nadu\u2019s capital Chennai in southern India, C Joseph Vijay tells his supporters his opponents have joined hands to stop him from becoming the state chief minister. \u201cMy rivals might […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20031"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20031\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Vijay](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2255418450-1776930290.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80\")
\u2018A blessing and a curse\u2019<\/h2>\n
Tamil Nadu\u2019s tryst with stars<\/h2>\n
![\"India](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AFP__20160520__AZ36I__v1__HighRes__IndiaElectionPolitics-1776862587.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C538&quality=80\")
![\"Narendra](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/AFP__20220526__32B77PB__v1__HighRes__IndiaPoliticsModi-1744261875.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80\")
Appeal to young, female voters<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"