Vijay. G

Vijay, also known as C. Joseph Vijay, is a renowned Tamil film actor who transitioned into politics by founding the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party in February 2024. Making his electoral debut in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, he is contesting from two constituencies: Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East, positioning himself as TVK's Chief Ministerial candidate. Born and raised in Perambur, Chennai, Vijay has leveraged his mass appeal and strong fan base to draw large crowds, particularly among youth and first-time voters. Vijay's campaign emphasizes women's safety, a drug-free Tamil Nadu, and clean governance. His manifesto includes ambitious promises such as the 'Nam Ooril Namakkey Velaivaippu' scheme providing 75% of private sector jobs to Tamil youth, monthly financial assistance for homemakers and unemployed graduates, 200 units of free electricity per household, and an AI-powered 'Vetri Tamil Nadu Super App' for unified government services. TVK has rejected alliance offers from both the NDA and DMK, choosing to contest all 234 seats independently to position itself as a secular, social justice-oriented alternative to traditional Dravidian parties. However, Vijay's political debut has been marred by controversies. Discrepancies emerged between his nomination papers filed at Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East—the former stated no pending cases while the latter disclosed two FIRs related to alleged rally obstruction and an assault complaint during a TVK conference in Madurai in 2025. In August 2025, an FIR was registered against Vijay and his bouncers for allegedly manhandling a TVK worker, drawing widespread criticism. Additionally, his declared assets of Rs. 2.18 lakh with zero immovable property appear inconsistent with his known profile as a successful film actor. Voters should weigh Vijay's celebrity appeal and development-focused promises against concerns about legal discrepancies, assault allegations, and questions about whether star power can translate into effective governance. In Perambur, he faces DMK's sitting MLA R.D. Sekar in what has become a high-profile battle testing whether TVK's anti-establishment messaging can overcome DMK's deep grassroots presence in a constituency facing urban challenges like pollution and drug-related crime.