In a significant political move, actor-turned-politician Vijay held a major public meeting in Erode on Thursday, marking his first large-scale rally in Tamil Nadu since the tragic stampede at his Karur event on September 27, which resulted in 41 fatalities. The Erode gathering, attended by approximately 30,000 people, predominantly youth and women, represented a strategic evolution for his party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), launched in February 2024.
A Calculated Performance Over Policy
The event was notable not just for its scale but for its carefully curated content. Departing from his typically brief addresses, Vijay delivered one of his longest speeches to date. The atmosphere was highly interactive, featuring call-and-response exchanges with the enthusiastic crowd and deliberate pauses for applause. He employed humor and direct confrontation, notably teasing "Stalin sir," referring to Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin.
However, the speech was conspicuously silent on several contentious state and national issues. There was no mention of the Tirupparankundram temple-dargah dispute in Madurai, the ongoing conflicts between the BJP-led central government and the DMK-led state government, or the Centre's move to replace the MGNREGA with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G). This selective focus appeared to be a deliberate political calculation aimed at galvanizing his base without engaging in polarizing debates or expanding his list of adversaries.
"Pure Force vs Evil Force": Appropriating AIADMK's Legacy
The core strategy of Vijay's political positioning became clear through his rhetorical choices. He repeatedly labeled the ruling DMK as "theeyya sakthi" (evil force), a phrase deeply entrenched in the AIADMK's political lexicon, famously used by the late J. Jayalalithaa. In contrast, he positioned his TVK as "thooyya sakthi" (pure force).
This was not a mere attack on the DMK but a strategic move to appropriate the AIADMK's historical critique of its rival. Unlike other new political entrants like Vijayakanth or Kamal Haasan, who sought legitimacy by criticizing both major Dravidian parties, Vijay has consistently avoided direct criticism of the AIADMK. His approach seems designed to validate the AIADMK's opposition to the DMK, honor its leaders, and borrow its language, all while presenting himself as the natural inheritor of its political space rather than a direct competitor.
This narrative was reinforced by the presence of former AIADMK stalwart and minister Sengottaiyan on the stage. Now serving as TVK's chief coordinator, Sengottaiyan's visible role signaled the party's intent to blend youthful energy with experienced political leadership to build credibility.
Building a Seamless Dravidian Inheritance
Vijay's speech carefully constructed a lineage of Dravidian icons, treating it as a seamless tradition awaiting a new custodian. He invoked Periyar as a moral icon, C.N. Annadurai and M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) as political architects, and included Jayalalithaa for her role in keeping the DMK out of power for extended periods. This arc strategically glossed over the historical tensions between these figures, presenting a unified legacy for the TVK to claim.
On governance, Vijay adopted a measured stance. He stressed he was not opposed to welfare schemes and refused to dismiss them as "freebies." However, he avoided detailing specific policy alternatives or delivery mechanisms, deflecting such questions by asserting he was "not DMK" and "would not sell false dreams." This allowed him to occupy a critical yet vague middle ground—sympathetic to welfare but unburdened by policy specifics.
The Erode rally, held ahead of the crucial state Assembly elections slated for April 2026, served as a demonstration of political readiness rather than a detailed manifesto. It indicated Vijay's apparent strategy: first, to hollow out the AIADMK's base by positioning the TVK as the true bearer of its anti-DMK legacy, and subsequently, to confront the DMK as the principal opposition pole. Whether this performance translates into a robust political structure for the TVK remains to be seen, but it undeniably marks the coming of age of Vijay's political project in Tamil Nadu.
