Vijay's bold political debut: Actor leads in both Perambur and Tiruchirappalli (East) constituencies

C Joseph Vijay, the actor-turned-politician and founder of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, is contesting from two constituencies in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls

Published on: May 4, 2026, 10:24:59 IST

By Yamini C S

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Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder and actor-turned-politician, C Joseph Vijay, has made a historic electoral debut in the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections by contesting from two seats: Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli (East).

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay during a roadshow, in Puducherry. (PTI)

Positioning himself as a "family member" in every Tamil household, Vijay has launched a solo campaign aimed at providing a "whistle revolution" to oust the ruling DMK, which he has labelled an “evil force”.

Vijay’s entry into the political arena follows a high-profile transition from his acting career, where he was known as “Thalapathy”, which means commander. His dual-constituency strategy mirrors that of legendary leader Jayalalithaa in 1991, though his move has drawn criticism from DMK's Udhayanidhi Stalin, who mocked the actor for having “one leg in each seat”.

ALSO READ | Internet finds new ‘meme template’ as cycling Vijay panics after fan throws petals at him; fans defend TVK chief

Despite facing a CBI investigation into the 2025 Karur stampede and delays in the release of his final film, Jananayakan, Vijay has maintained a "no alliance" stance, calling the BJP an "ideological enemy" and the DMK a “political enemy”.

Wealthiest candidate

Born in 1974, Joseph Vijay is the son of director SA Chandrasekhar. In his 2026 election affidavit, he declared assets worth over ₹624 crore, including ₹404 crore in movable assets, making him the wealthiest candidate in the fray.

His personal life has also been in the spotlight following a divorce petition filed by his wife, Sangeetha, with whom he has a son, Jason Sanjay, and a daughter, Divya Sasha.

ALSO READ | Vijay claims opponents waited till month before election to leak divorce news; spread rumours about those close to him

The Perambur seat

The Perambur constituency is the largest in Chennai with 2,22,792 voters, while Tiruchirappalli East has 2,17,397 voters. Both segments have significant working-class and Christian populations, which are key to Vijay's electoral prospects. In Perambur, he is facing DMK incumbent RD Sekar, and in Trichy East, he is pitted against the DMK’s Inigo Irudayaraj and AIADMK's K Rajasekaran.

If he were to win, he has promised to provide ₹4,000 monthly assistance for graduates, ₹2,500 monthly aid for women, a sovereign gold and silk saree as wedding gifts for young women, and a guarantee that all government examinations will be conducted without delays.

What happened in the previous elections?

In the 2021 Assembly elections, both constituencies chosen by Vijay were won by the DMK-led alliance. In Perambur, DMK’s RD Sekar secured victory with a comfortable margin, continuing the seat's tradition of favouring the major Dravidian parties. Similarly, in Tiruchirappalli East, the DMK’s Inigo Irudayaraj won the seat, leveraging his influence among the local electorate.

ALSO READ | ‘Wants to be a lion, but has to get on ground’: Why Vijay’s TVK is not in an alliance for Tamil Nadu election 2026

Historically, Perambur has rotated between the DMK, AIADMK, and Left parties, while Trichy East has also been a battleground for the two Dravidian giants. Vijay’s decision to contest solo marks the first time that a cinema-backed new party is attempting to turn the state's traditional two-way contest into a three-way battle without the help of a major alliance.

The 2026 Tamil Nadu polls will see voting on April 23, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 4. Vijay's TVK faces the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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