R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, DEC 18
Actor-politician Vijay on Thursday mounted his sharpest political attack yet on Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK, branding it an “evil force” (theeya sakthi) and positioning his party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), as a “pure force” (thooya sakthi)—a narrative famously used by late AIADMK stalwarts M G Ramachandran (MGR) and J Jayalalithaa against the Dravidian party.
Addressing a public meeting in Chennai, Vijay said the political contest in Tamil Nadu—apparently pointing to the 2026 Assembly elections—had narrowed down to just two forces.
“The contest is now between Thooya Sakthi TVK and Theeya Sakthi DMK,” he declared.
- Actor-Politician launches fierce political offensive, calls DMK an ‘Evil Force’ at public meet
- Positions Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam as a ‘Pure Force’, says electoral contest now a two-way fight
- Invokes MGR and Jayalalithaa’s legacy, slams DMK on law & order and agriculture
- Hints of leader influx into TVK after Sengottaiyan’s entry alleged smear campaign
First Public Outreach After Karur Tragedy
This marked Vijay’s first public outreach in Tamil Nadu since the September 27 TVK rally in Karur, where a stampede claimed 41 lives. Following the incident, he had addressed a closed-door meeting in Kancheepuram and later spoke at a rally in neighbouring Puducherry, but had stayed away from major public events in the state.
Invoking Dravidian Icons
Referring to former Chief Ministers MGR and Jayalalithaa, Vijay said they frequently described the DMK as a “theeya sakthi.” Reiterating his party’s ideological positioning, he asserted:
“My TVK is a thooya sakthi.”
He also invoked the legacy of C N Annadurai and MGR, stating that they were “an inspiration for everyone and not the property of any individual or party.”
“None can complain against us for invoking them,” he said.
Attack on Governance, Claims Smear Campaign
Vijay launched a scathing critique of the DMK government, accusing it of failures in law and order and agriculture, while also alleging that vested interests were running a smear campaign against him as his political influence grows.
Leader Influx Into TVK
Signalling organisational expansion, Vijay said that more leaders would join TVK, following the recent induction of former AIADMK senior leader K A Sengottaiyan, a powerful regional figure.
“Like Sengottaiyan, many more leaders will come to our party fold and they will be given their due recognition,” he said.
Clear Pitch for 2026
With his sharp binary framing of TVK versus DMK, Vijay’s speech is seen as a clear political pitch ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, indicating his intent to emerge as a central challenger to the ruling party and redraw the state’s political equations.
