Tamil star Joseph Vijay, well known as ‘Thalapathy’ (the commander) Vijay, confirmed recent reports that he would enter politics on Friday by naming his political party ‘Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam’ (victorious Tamil association).
#தமிழகவெற்றிகழகம் #TVKVijay https://t.co/Szf7Kdnyvr
— Vijay (@actorvijay) February 2, 2024
The actor stated in a statement that the party will not run in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but will instead make its electoral debut in the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly election.
His statement reads, “I am aiming a corruption-free, progressive, and secular government, considering the current political climate that divides people by religion , caste and one could witness corruption everywhere.”
With this, the 49-year-old actor joins the list of famous Tamil Nadu film industry figures who have entered politics. Two past chief ministers of the southern state, MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, were actors, while M Karunanidhi, who also served as CM, was a screenwriter. While MG Ramachandran, better known by his initials MGR, formed the AIADMK, Jayalalithaa was also a senior party member. Karunanidhi was a senior leader of the DMK, the state’s current ruling party.
The two major political outfits in Tamil Nadu are the DMK and AIADMK.
Before entering politics, DMDK founder Vijayakanth was an actor in the Tamil film industry. He died in December last year. Superstar Kamal Haasan founded Makkal Needhi Maiam (MKM) in February 2018.