Ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay launched his first statewide campaign on Saturday from Tiruchirappalli, where he criticized the BJP for “tormenting people” and the ruling DMK party for not fulfilling their election manifesto’s poll promises.
“In the past, before going to war, kings would first visit their family deities for blessings,” the actor-turned-politician said, referencing tradition as he spoke to a large throng. In the same way, I wanted to meet and greet my people before going into an election war,” he remarked.
Vijay explained why he chose Tiruchirappalli for his first election campaign, pointing out that it was there that DMK founder CN Annadurai made the decision to run in 1956 and that AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran had his first state conference in 1974 following the formation of the government.
Vijay claimed that neither the DMK nor the BJP would be spared in the impending Tamil Nadu elections, which he framed as a fight for the people. He was cited by NDTV as saying, “We will not spare the BJP that torments people, nor the DMK that cheats them.”
Unmet Promises
Vijay pointed out a number of unmet promises in the DMK’s 2021 electoral program. What has been put into practice out of the 505 promises they made? “Where is the 40% job reservation for women in government services, the monthly electricity bill calculation, the Rs 3 diesel price reduction, the reinstatement of the previous pension plan, the filling of two lakh government vacancies, and the waiver of student education loans?” he said.
Citing a recent illicit kidney sale scheme, he accused the MK Stalin administration of disregarding the people’s actual problems. Women are humiliated by being made fun of for taking buses, even though they are permitted to travel for free. The Rs 1,000 pledge for all women has not been met, and the recipients are being used for publicity,” he continued.
Vijay On The “Betrayal” Of The BJP
The actor-politician also criticized the BJP-led Centre for disregarding the suffering of Tamil fisherman who were attacked by the Sri Lankan Navy, rejecting vital funding intended for disaster relief in Tamil Nadu, and dismissing the anguish of students following the NEET test scandal.
In addition, he criticized the Central government for trying to enforce Sanskrit and Hindi in opposition to Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy. According to NDTV, he also called the One Nation, One Election idea a “electoral manipulation” and cautioned that South India’s political might will be diminished by the impending delimitation process.
He claimed that these were only a handful of the betrayals committed by the BJP leadership at the federal level. Tamil Nadu is being duped by the BJP government. The Stalin regime uses trust to fool Tamils. Both of these are crimes against democracy: treachery and fraud.
Vijay promised that TVK would unwaveringly concentrate on women’s safety, healthcare, education, power, and legal reforms. “We won’t make hollow promises; we’ll only make what is realistically achievable. “There is no doubt about victory,” he declared.
As an alternative to the opposition AIADMK and the ruling DMK, Vijay plans to establish his party, TVK, as a third front in Tamil Nadu politics. For the first time since its establishment in 2024, the TVK will run in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections.
Vijay had previously stated that the TVK is aware of the current political climate and the pulse of the populace. His state-wide political campaign will run for 98 days until December 20, with most of the events taking place on Saturdays, with the exception of December 5, which falls on a Sunday, according to the timetable made public by TVK.
