Why Chennai is central to Vijay's strategy against DMK, AIADMK

New Delhi,UPDATED: Apr 2, 2026 16:32 IST

Vijay might be trying what even AIADMK's icons MGR and Jayalalithaa never dared in their early political life – challenge the DMK in its bastion, Chennai. Choosing to contest from Tiruchirapalli (East) as a 'safe seat' and the Perambur seat from Chennai district and fielding his best-known faces from there, C Vijay Joseph is trying to project his fledgling TVK as the main challenger to the ruling DMK by edging out the AIADMK from the narrative.

If the TVK manages to get enough seats in Chennai district, home to a diverse population, it could project itself as the party accepted by all communities, just like its leader Thalapathy Vijay is.

On Thursday, Vijay filed his nomination from Tiruchirapalli (East) or Trichy for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, voting for which will take place on April 9. While the DNK is in a pre-poll alliance with the Congress, the AIADMK has joined forces with the BJP.

Vijay's speech after announcing TVK's candidates list on Sunday was viewed as a direct message to the DMK that he is no pushover. Contesting from Northern Chennai's Perambur seat and fielding his well-known faces in Chennai, Vijay is positioning himself and his party as a direct challenger to Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister MK Stalin and the ruling DMK. Perambur constituency borders the Kolathur Constituency, from where CM Stalin is seeking a re-election.

Chennai district has remained the DMK's electoral bastion for years. Staunch challengers of the DMK, MG Ramachandran (MGR) and Jayalalithaa, couldn't completely decimate the DMK in Chennai for years. MGR won three successive elections in Tamil Nadu, but he still couldn't dominate the DMK in Chennai, apart from the 1977 wave election. Jayalalithaa's decade-long effort damaged the fortress of the DMK in the 2006 and 2011 elections. But the DMK reclaimed its dominance in Chennai in 2016 after Jajyalalithaa's death. In the 2021 Assembly election, the DMK-led alliance swept the Chennai district, winning all 16 seats.

HOW VIJAY IS TRYING TO MAKE TAMIL NADU ELECTION A DMK-TVK BATTLE?

Vijay's announcement of contesting from two seats is a strategic move. As many political analysts believe, Tiruchirapalli could be a safe option, and Perambur could bolster his image as the challenger to Chief Minister Stalin.

Tamil Nadu politics has been dominated by two major parties, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), since the late 1960s. The Congress ruled Tamil Nadu for the first 20 years after Independence, but then became a minor partner.

In 1967, the DMK became the first regional party to form the government in Tamil Nadu. In 1972, MGR quit the DMK due to an internal rift with M Karunanidhi and launched his own party, the AIADMK. Till the 2021 Assembly elections, Tamil Nadu has only witnessed a two-way battle between the DMK and the AIADMK.

After 59 years, the battle in the state is viewed as three-way, after the superstar of Tamil films, C Vijay Joseph, announced his entry into politics and launched his party Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) in February 2024.

Vijay's extensive focus on Chennai is seen as a threat to the DMK, as it holds all 16 seats in the district. Any gain by the TVK is a loss for the DMK. According to some political analysts, with his Chennai strategy, Vijay is trying to sideline the DMK's age-old challenger, the AIADMK, and position his party, the TVK, as the primary opposition force in the state at the moment.

According to analysts, Vijay's strategy to field his party's well-known faces in Chennai could rock DMK's momentum in the upcoming election. The Perambur seat where Vijay is contesting has been held by DMK MLA RD Sekar since 2019, and the actor-politician will have to take on the incumbent.

Not just Vijay, other strong candidates of the TVK have also been fielded from Chennai district.

TVK general secretary N Anand, known as Bussy Anand, is contesting from T Nagar. TVK's general secretary and election strategist, Aadhav Arjuna, is contesting from Villivakkam. K Rajamohan, Deputy General Secretary, contesting from Egmore, and VS Babu, former AIADMK MLA who joined TVK, is contesting from Kolathur and will take on CM MK Stalin.

THALAPATHY VIJAY'S POPULARITY: A CHALLENGE FOR DMK AND AIADMK

Vijay's entry into politics from films has changed the calculus of Tamil Nadu politics. For the DMK, the challenge has moved beyond routine anti-incumbency, evolving into a direct battle against a charismatic leader who can energise the youth, dominate public attention, and influence the narrative. Because of the diverse communities, Chennai North serves not only as a testing ground but also as a symbolic ground for the TVK's political emergence.

Vijay's persona from films makes him a widely accepted leader among all communities. Chennai, which is home to mixed communities, migrants, and minorities, can give an electoral edge to the TVK. The DMK, the AIADMK, and the national parties like the BJP and the Congress have spent years in building such a cross-community trust. But Vijay's stardom has built a secular persona, adding an advantage for the actor-turned-politician in his political journey.

The battle for Chennai is setting the TVK's narrative for the contest across Tamil Nadu. Vijay's star power will test the DMK's well-oiled machinery in its stronghold. With the influence of the AIADMK in the district, all eyes are on the Stalin-Vijay battle. It is also important to wait and see whether the Chennai battle narrative will resonate in other parts of the state and turn the Tamil Nadu battle two-way once again—from the traditional DMK-AIADMK to the new DMK-TVK one.

- Ends

Tune In