One nation, one poll is murder of democracy, delimitation will weaken South: Vijay

Actor Vijay, the chief of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), launched his statewide political tour on Saturday, marking the beginning of his campaign ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. During his speech in Ariyalur, Vijay strongly criticised the BJP-led government’s proposal of "One Nation, One Election," calling it a “murder of democracy.” The actor also condemned the proposed delimitation process, claiming it was aimed at weakening opposition parties, particularly in southern states like Tamil Nadu.

Vijay argued that the idea of simultaneous elections would not only undermine the federal structure of the country but also lead to the dissolution of state governments. He expressed concern that such a move could pave the way for electoral manipulation, claiming that it would give the ruling party an unfair advantage.

"Through the idea of 'One Nation, One Election', they are thinking of dissolving all the state governments and conducting elections simultaneously. They believe they can carry out many manipulations. This is called the murder of democracy," Vijay said, adding that it would undermine the democratic process at the state level.

Additionally, the actor also criticised the proposed delimitation process, saying that it was intended to reduce the political influence of opposition parties.

Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls and delimitation is another form of betrayal by the BJP across India, he said, referring to the process that redraws electoral constituencies, which could potentially favor certain regions over others.

“How cruel this BJP government is. In Bihar, 60 lakhs voters are missing from the electoral rolls,” Vijay said. He also warned that measures like delimitation would disproportionately affect southern states and diminish their political power.

Vijay also took aim at the DMK government, accusing it of failing to fulfill its election promises, including a diesel price cut, job reservations for women and student loan waivers.

“Believing that they (DMK) would do well, both you and I elected them. The DMK gave more than 500 promises. How many of those promises has this DMK government fulfilled? Without fully implementing them, my dear Chief Minister Stalin shamelessly lies, claiming that all the promises have been fulfilled,” he said in the rally.

Furthermore, during his address, Vijay told his supporters that his political involvement was not for personal gain. “I don't need to earn money through politics. My only purpose is to serve you, the ones who have given me everything; nothing else matters to me," he said while addressing the crowd.

The actor’s comments came as part of his campaign, which is seen as a major move towards his political future. His speech was aimed at galvanising support for his vision of a more accountable government.

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