Can actor Vijay's star power disrupt the DMK-Cong vs AIADMK-BJP battle in Tamil Nadu?
- CL Manoj
- THE ECONOMIC TIMES Jan 14, 2026, 15:16 IST IST
Never in the chequered electoral history of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has the party’s government beaten the incumbency burden to retain power in successive elections. This is the challenge the party is fighting to overcome as Tamil Nadu hurtles towards assembly elections this April.
While the rival All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), in alliance with the BJP and others, is seeking its turn in power in the state’s mostly cyclical electoral trend, 51-yr-old Joseph Vijay Chandrashekhar’s (better known as Tamil matinee idol ‘Vijay’) attempt to revive the magical grip of cinema on Tamil politics has set the cat among pigeons, keeping the two traditional coalitions edgy about the implications of Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
While the rival All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), in alliance with the BJP and others, is seeking its turn in power in the state’s mostly cyclical electoral trend, 51-yr-old Joseph Vijay Chandrashekhar’s (better known as Tamil matinee idol ‘Vijay’) attempt to revive the magical grip of cinema on Tamil politics has set the cat among pigeons, keeping the two traditional coalitions edgy about the implications of Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
