Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay on Sunday gave a war cry to the party for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly polls 2026, saying that it is “not just an election but a democratic battle”.
Addressing a party event in Mamallapuram, Vijay accused both the ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK of having “surrendered” to the BJP, and all but ruled out any alliance with the saffron party.
"The AIADMK has directly surrendered to the BJP, and the DMK has indirectly surrendered to the BJP. We do not bow down to any pressure. Does this face look like it would succumb to pressure?" Vijay was quoted by the news agency ANI as saying.
The actor-turned politician added that only his party, TVK, had the “guts” to take on DMK, which he called an “evil force”, and the AIADMK, which got the “corrupt force” label from him.
“For 30 years, these parties have underestimated us, but the people have given me this position at the peak of my career. People should have faith not only in me but also in those around me. I'm not saying that this faith doesn't exist, but we must behave and work in that direction. We should not compromise our politics for anything or anyone. We must remain united,” the actor, commonly known as Thalapathy, said.
{{/usCountry}}“For 30 years, these parties have underestimated us, but the people have given me this position at the peak of my career. People should have faith not only in me but also in those around me. I'm not saying that this faith doesn't exist, but we must behave and work in that direction. We should not compromise our politics for anything or anyone. We must remain united,” the actor, commonly known as Thalapathy, said.
{{/usCountry}}Seemingly attacking both the DMK and the AIADMK, the TVK chief said that both have forgotten CN Annadurai. Annadurai founded the DMK, while the AIADMK also bears his name.
"Anna has been forgotten by the party he founded and the party that bears his name. Each and every one of you is important to me; you are the frontline warriors. This is not just an election; it's a democratic war... The strength of TVK will win, even if no friendly force (alliance) is with us," he added.
Vijay unveils TVK election symbol
Vijay's TVK has been allotted its symbol by the Election Commission of India (ECI). At the meeting in Mamallapuram, he unveiled his party's symbol, 'whistle,' and also played it, with enthusiastic party workers joining and cheering him
TVK is set to debut in the upcoming assembly polls, vying to gain power by unseating the incumbent DMK. He has been embroiled in controversy, already facing questioning by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding the Karur stampede.
All the political parties have started gearing up for the elections, with AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami already announcing the party's first phase of the party's poll promises on January 17.
Tamil Nadu is scheduled to hold elections in the first half of this year. The official schedule has not yet been announced by the ECI.