LIVE | Abolishing Governor's role, 2-language policy on Vijay's agenda
At maiden political rally at Vikravandi, Tamil Nadu, film star and TVK leader Vijay slams corruption in public life, in what's seen as a veiled attack on DMK
Tamil superstar Vijay could not have hoped for a better start to his political career.
Public hopes were high, and there was an air of euphoria as the date for the first political conference of his newly-launched party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), was announced for Sunday (October 27), at Vikiravandi village in Villupuram district. However, even Vijay had perhaps not expected to see the sea of people that flooded the venue much before its scheduled start.
In fact, such was the surge of crowd that the organisers decided to prepone its inauguration by an hour. While arrangements had been made to house only 50,000 people, a two lakh-strong crowd thronged the venue as Vijay made a gala entry around 4.15 pm.
With his political plunge coming ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, Vijay is expected to join the pantheon of the next line of leaders in the state and give tough competition to the likes of DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin and NTK’s Seeman.
The event gains significance as it marks the initiation of another mega superstar into Tamil Nadu politics, rekindling fresh hopes among public and fans who had invested hopes of a political entry for actor Rajinikanth, but were left dejected when he backed out.
This also the first event where Vijay, fondly known as ‘Thalapathy’ (commander) among fans, will address a public rally as a politician.
Ahead of the conference, the actor urged volunteers to prioritise their safety during the event.
“To the comrades in my heart, hello. Some things like names have to be repeated. I am going to reiterate here what was said in the letters. Because you and your safety are important to me in all aspects, so you all should be very careful about conference travel safety. Better to avoid cycling. I say this for your safety,” he posted on X.
He also urged participants to follow traffic rules while coming to the conference and avoid disturbing the public.
Check out The Federal’s exclusive stories on the topic:
Watch | Actor Vijay banking on 'Tamil nationalism' in Dravidian heartland?
Read: Vijay ready for first TVK meet; TN all ears for actor’s debut speech as politician
Watch | Vijay lacks foundation in politics, says political commentator Vijay Shankar
Follow this space for The Federal’s live coverage of the event.
Live Updates
- 27 Oct 2024 4:32 PM IST
Vijay hoists TVK flag on 101-m pole
As Vijay walks down the ramp, excited fans throw scarves fashioned after the TVK flag. Vijay hoists the party flag on a 101-metre-tall pole using a remote control. - 27 Oct 2024 4:25 PM IST
2 lakh people at venue already, emergency exit opened
Even though arrangements were made for only 50,000 people, a 2 lakh-strong crowd has already gathered at the venue. The TVK organizers declared that they decided to inaugurate the event an hour early, as the number of visitors has been increasing since afternoon. Scores of fans have come not just from Tamil Nadu but also from neighbouring states such as Kerala and Karnataka. Despite stringent measures, a steady stream of visitors has been pouring in, and the emergency exit close to the venue, which was previously restricted for ambulances, has now been opened to ease traffic.
