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Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam

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Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam
AbbreviationTVK
PresidentC. Joseph Vijay
General SecretaryN. Anand
TreasurerP. Venkataramanan
FounderC. Joseph Vijay
Founded2 February 2024; 2 years ago (2024-02-02)
HeadquartersPanaiyur, Chennai[1]
Membership15 million+ (September 2025)[2]
Ideology
Political positionCentre-left[3]
Colours  Dark Red
  Yellow
SloganPirappokkum Ella Uyirkkum
(transl. All are equal by birth) (from Kural verse 972)[4]
ECI StatusRUPP
AllianceTVK+ (2026–Present)
Seats in Rajya Sabha
0 / 245
Seats in Lok Sabha
0 / 543
Seats in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
107 / 234
Seats in Puducherry Legislative Assembly
2 / 30
Number of states and union territories in government
1 / 31
Election symbol

Whistle
Party flag
Website
tvkvijay.com

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (transl. Victory Party of Tamilakam; abbr. TVK) is an Indian regional political party active in the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It was founded on 2 February 2024 by actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay, the party's president, and is headquartered in Panaiyur, Chennai. Its ideological principles are rooted in egalitarianism, secularism, and social justice. TVK assumed power in Tamil Nadu in the 2026 Legislative Assembly election, with Vijay as Chief Minister.

History

Origin and formation

In July 2009, actor C. Joseph Vijay organised his fan clubs—reportedly numbering around 85,000 across Tamil Nadu,[5] under the umbrella of a welfare association titled Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (transl. Vijay's People Movement).[6][7] The association supported the AIADMK-led Alliance in the 2011 elections for the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.[8] After a period of non-involvement in politics, the organisation contested the local body elections in Tamil Nadu in 2021 and won 115 out of the 169 seats it contested.[9]

Vijay made occasional political statements such as condemning the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in February 2019,[10] and criticising the other political parties in an event in June 2023.[11] On 2 February 2024, Vijay announced the launch of his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and stated his intent to contest the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections.[12][13]

In July 2024, Vijay called for the abolishment of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test,[14][15] and demanded that the subject of education be moved from the Concurrent List back to the State List.[16] In September 2024, TVK announced its ideological alignment with centre-left, following the ideologies of Ambedkar, Periyar, and Kamaraj.[3][17] The party further rejected any association with right-wing politics.[18]

Rallies and further events

On 27 October 2024, TVK held its first political conference in Vikravandi, which was reportedly attended by over 800,000 people.[19] In the rally, Vijay unveiled the party's ideology as "secular social justice, and supporting social justice, secularism, egalitarianism, two-language policy, and democracy.[20][21][22] During the conference, Vijay termed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as an "ideological opponent" due to its right-wing politics and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) as a "political adversary" due to its alleged corruption and dynastic politics.[23][24]

On 3 November 2024, the party passed 26 resolutions criticising the central and state governments.[25][26] After the conference, TVK attracted reaching out to youth, which prompted traditional parties like the DMK and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) to increase their efforts to retain their voter base ahead of the 2026 elections.[27]

On 13 February 2025, the party announced a large-scale enrollment drive with plans to appoint over 70,000 booth agents and restructure its internal hierarchy in preparation for the 2026 state elections.[28] On 16 April 2025, the All India Muslim Jamaat President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi reportedly issued a fatwa (a legal opinion in Islamic law) on TVK chief Vijay in relation to a recent iftar gathering hosted by his party and his anti-Islamic behavior, alleging that some of Vijay's film roles have depicted Muslims in a negative manner, including associating them with terrorism.[29][30][31]

On 26 April 2025, the party held a meeting of the party functionaries in Coimbatore, where Vijay stated his commitment to establish a corruption-free, transparent, and accountable government.[32][33]

On 21 August 2025, the party held its second conference in Madurai, where Vijay continued to attack the BJP and the DMK, while praising former actor-turned politicians M. G. Ramachandran and Vijayakanth. He also reiterated his promise for the safety of women, welfare of youth, elderly and trans persons, farmers, labourers, weavers, fisherfolk.[34][35] He also called for the retrieval of the island of Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka.[36]

On 27 September 2025, during a campaign rally hosted by Vijay in the outskirts of Karur, a crowd crush resulted in the deaths of at least 41 people and left 80 others injured.[37][38] Vijay shared a statement on social media expressing his condolences and announced that he intended to pay the families of the deceased ₹2 million (US$21,000), and the injured ₹0.2 million (US$2,100).[39] On 27 October 2025, Vijay met with victim's families in Mamallapuram to express his condolences.[40][41] The incident led to multiple litigation, and subsequent Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the incident.[42][43]

On 4 March 2026, supporters of TVK were reported to have created several fake social media accounts impersonating media outlets, as well as fictitious media organizations. These accounts allegedly disseminated false and defamatory remarks about journalists and media organizations. They also posted derogatory content targeting leaders and functionaries of various political parties in Tamil Nadu. The Chennai Press Club described the incident as an attempt to suppress freedom of expression and urged actor C. Joseph Vijay to take action against those responsible.[44]

On 7 March 2026, the party held International Women's Day celebration at Mahabalipuram near Chennai. During the event, party leader Vijay unveiled the party's first set of promises, ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections.[45] The announcements were primarily women-centric, and included monthly financial assistance, free LPG cylinders, free bus travel in government buses, one sovereign of gold and silk sari for brides from poor families, gold ring and welcome kit for newborns, educational assistance for poor students, and dedicated safety teams for women's safety.[46][47]

Assembly election

On 18 March 2026, Vijay stated that the party would contest alone in all the seats in the upcoming 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections.[48][49] On 29 March 2026, the party announced the candidates for all the seats,[50] and released the manifesto for the elections.[51] Vijay started his campaign for the elections on 30 March 2026, after filing his nomination to contest the elections from the Perambur Assembly constituency. A case was subsequently registered against him by the election officer for violating the Model Code of Conduct during the campaign.[52] In the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, TVK emerged as the single largest party, winning 108 out of the 234 seats in the state assembly.[53]

Current office bearers

Member Current elected positions Party position

C. Joseph Vijay 		Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu President[54]

N. Anand 		General secretary[56]
C. T. R. Nirmal Kumar Deputy general secretary[54]
P. Venkataramanan Treasurer[57]
John Arokiyasamy Election strategist[54]

Aadhav Arjuna 		Campaign management general secretary[54]
K. G. Arunraj Propaganda & policy general secretary.[58]

K. A. Sengottaiyan 		Chief coordinator of the high-level administrative committee[61]
Rajasekar Headquarters secretary[62]

Rajmohan Arumugam 		Propaganda secretary[54]
Nanjil Sampath Campaign secretary[63]
C. Vijayalakshmi Membership secretary[62]
I. Thahira Joint secretary[62]

List of party leaders

President

No. Name Image Term in office
Assumed office Left office Time in office
1 C. Joseph Vijay
(b. 1974) 		2 February 2024 Incumbent 2 years, 102 days

General Secretary

No. Name Image Term in office
Assumed office Left office Time in office
1 N. Anand
(b. 1964) 		2 February 2024 Incumbent 2 years, 102 days

Electoral performance

Year Party leader Seats contested Seats won in assembly Change in seats Popular vote Percentage of votes Vote Swing
Tamil Nadu
2026[64] C. Joseph Vijay 233
108 / 234
 1,72,26,209 34.92
Puducherry
2026[65] C. Joseph Vijay 28
2 / 30
 1,44,817 16.72

See also

References

  1. ^ "Protesting Chennai sanitation workers call on TVK chief Vijay". The Hindu. 22 August 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  2. ^ "த.வெ.க. உறுப்பினர் சேர்க்கை 1½ கோடியாக உயர்ந்தது" [TVK membership count increases to 1.5 crores]. Dina Thanthi (in Tamil). 15 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b Tamilarasu, Prabhakar (4 September 2024). "'Thalapathy' Vijay is busy reading Ambedkar as his party plans to lean Left of Centre. Right's a no go". ThePrint. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  4. ^ "பிறப்பொக்கும் எல்லா உயிர்க்கும் திருக்குறளின் அர்த்தம் என்ன?" [Pirappokkum Ellaa Uyirkkum Thirukkural Meaning]. Zee News (in Tamil). 30 October 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  5. ^ "The fan factor: Thalapathy Vijay's political future hinges on turning his fan base into a powerful electoral force". The Economic Times. 3 February 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  6. ^ "Vijay's fan club to take 'new dimension', hints at his political plunge". 26 August 2023. Archived from the original on 1 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Vijay Makkal Iyakkam was launched in 2009". The Times of India. 28 September 2015. Archived from the original on 14 November 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Actor Vijay's Makkal Iyakkam to support AIADMK". The Hindu. 27 March 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  9. ^ Chandrababu, Divya (15 January 2021). "Actor Vijay's fans win more 115 seats in Tamil Nadu local body polls". The Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Tamil Superstar Vijay Calls Citizenship Law CAA "Unacceptable"". NDTV. 22 February 2019. Archived from the original on 6 October 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
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  13. ^ "'Thalapathy' Vijay floats political party, names it 'Thamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam'". Deccan Herald. 2 February 2024. Archived from the original on 6 October 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
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  19. ^ "த.வெ.க. மாநாட்டுக்கு 8 லட்சம் பேர் வருகை - 7 மணிக்குள் நிகழ்ச்சியை முடிக்க காவல்துறை அறிவுறுத்தல்" [8 lakh people turn up for TVK conference, police instructions to end event by 7 pm]. Maalai Malar (in Tamil). 27 October 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  20. ^ Shivani, Nitika (26 October 2024). "Icons of social justice, Tamil pride and Vijay: What TVK debut rally has in store". The South First. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  21. ^ "Misleading people under guise of Dravidian mode: Actor-turned-politician Vijay's veiled jibe at DMK". The Economic Times. 27 October 2024. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  22. ^ "My party is committed to secular social justice principles: Vijay". The Hindu. 27 October 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  23. ^ "'BJP Ideological Opponent, DMK Political Adversary': Actor-Turned-Politician Vijay At TVK Rally". News18. 27 October 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  24. ^ Nair, Shilpa (28 October 2024). "Actor Vijay calls out 'dynastic selfish family', DMK says no basis to remarks". India Today. Archived from the original on 29 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  25. ^ "TVK passes 26 resolutions against Centre, DMK govt". The Hindustan Times. 3 November 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  26. ^ "Centre's dream of imposing a third language in T.N. will never come true: actor Vijay's TVK". The Hindu. 3 November 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  27. ^ Tamilarasu, Prabhakar (12 November 2024). "Vijay's TVK has stirred up TN politics. Dravidian parties rush to draw youth, smaller ones wary too". ThePrint. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  28. ^ "Vijay-Led TVK Announces Massive Expansion Ahead of 2026 Tamil Nadu Elections". Hindusthan Samachar. 13 February 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  29. ^ Kumar, Mayank (16 April 2025). "U.P. cleric issues fatwa against Vijay, asks Muslims to distance themselves from TVK chief". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  30. ^ "Fatwa issued against Thalapathy Vijay sparks controversy ahead of 'Jana Nayagan' release". The Times of India. 17 April 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  31. ^ "Fatwa issued against actor Vijay over controversial iftar party". The Times of India. 17 April 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  32. ^ "Vijay vows corruption-free govt at TVK booth agents meet in Coimbatore". The News Minute. 28 April 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  33. ^ "TVK functionaries told to enrol members, bolster party from booth level". The New Indian Express. 11 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  34. ^ Janardhanan, Arun (21 August 2025). "Vijay taunts 'Stalin uncle', makes pitch to become Tamil Nadu's main Opposition with 3-lakh-strong rally in Madurai". The Indian Express.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  35. ^ Bose, Subash Chandra (21 August 2025). "'Stalin uncle, fascist BJP, betrayed MGR': Vijay rules out alliances at TVK's second state conference". The South First. Retrieved 7 October 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  36. ^ "Sri Lanka doubles down on Katchatheevu after Vijay blasts navy killings". Tamil Guardian. 1 September 2025. Archived from the original on 1 September 2025. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  37. ^ "TVK Karur rally stampede: Death toll climbs to 41". The Hindu. 29 September 2025. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  38. ^ C. Jaisankar (27 September 2025). "At least 39 dead in stampede at actor Vijay's rally in Karur". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  39. ^ "Vijay announces ₹20 lakh for kin of Karur stampede victims, ₹2 lakh for injured". The Hindustan Times. 28 September 2025. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  40. ^ "A month after Karur stampede, TVK chief Vijay meets families of victims at Mamallapuram resort". The Hindustan Times. 27 October 2025. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  41. ^ Madhav, Pramod (27 October 2025). "TVK chief Vijay meets Karur stampede victims' families at Mamallapuram resort". India Today. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  42. ^ "Supreme Court orders CBI probe into Karur stampede, constitutes retired judge-led Oversight Panel". Supreme Court Observer. 14 October 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  43. ^ "Karur stampede case: CBI again summons TVK president Vijay on January 19". The Hindu. 13 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  44. ^ "TVK supporters target media outlets online, draw ire". The Hindu. 4 March 2026. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  45. ^ "TVK chief Vijay makes string of promises for women, gold for marriage, monthly aid of Rs 2,500". The Tribune. 7 March 2026. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  46. ^ "Vijay Unveils Major Women-Centric Welfare Promises at TVK Women's Day Celebrations". News Today. 7 March 2026. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  47. ^ "TVK's Vijay announces free sanitary pads, smart panic buttons and more as poll promise". ANI News. 7 March 2026. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  48. ^ "Vijay's TVK confirms to contest solo for upcoming 2026 election". The Hindu. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  49. ^ "Vijay TVK: Actor rules out AIADMK-BJP tie, to contest polls alone". Deccan Herald. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  50. ^ "Tamil Nadu Assembly elections: Full list of TVK candidates". The Hindu. 30 March 2026. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  51. ^ "TVK Vijay promises drug free state and monthly assistance for students". The Economic Times. 29 March 2026. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  52. ^ "Tamil Nadu election: Vijay, TVK cadre booked for conducting roadshow in violation of poll code". The Hindu. 31 March 2026. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  53. ^ "TVK chief Vijay makes stunning debut, disrupts T.N.'s bipolar politics but falls short of magic figure". The Hindu. 4 May 2026. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  54. ^ a b c d e "Tamil Nadu: Vijay announces new office-bearers". Deccan Chronicle. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  55. ^ "Pondicherry: PMC wins from Bussy, Cassicade constituency". The Times of India. 11 May 2005. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  56. ^ "TVK condemns Sri Lankan navy's 'aggression' on TN fishers, gives aid to boat owner". The New Indian Express. 16 September 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  57. ^ "Vijay chairs TVK's Special General Committee Meeting in Mahabalipuram". ANI News. 5 November 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  58. ^ "Ex-IRS officer Arunraj joins Vijay's TVK, gets party post". The Hindu. 6 June 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  59. ^ Mariappan, Julie (16 February 2017). "31-member Palaniswami cabinet to be sworn in at 4.30pm". The Economic Times. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  60. ^ "Sengottaiyan, former Tamil Nadu Minister expelled from AIADMK, joins Vijay's TVK". The Hindu. 26 November 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  61. ^ "As expelled Sengottaiyan joins Vijay's TVK, what's at stake for AIADMK?". India Today. 29 November 2025. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  62. ^ a b c "TVK general council meeting grants Vijay total control over party decisions". South First. 28 March 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  63. ^ "Nanjil Sampath appointed as TVK's campaign secretary". The Times of India. 7 December 2025. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  64. ^ "Tamil Nadu Assembly election results 2026".
  65. ^ "Puducherry Assembly election results 2026".
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