Vijay's bold political debut: Actor leads in both Perambur and Tiruchirappalli (East) constituencies

TAmilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founding father and actor-turned-politician, C chief joseph Vijay, has made a historical electoral debut in the 2026 Tamil Nadu assemblage elections by contesting from 2 seats: Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli (East).Positioning himself as a "family member" in every Tamil household, Vijay has launched a solo campaign aimed at providing a "whistle revolution" to oust the ruling DMK, which he has labelled an “evil force”.Vijay’s entry into the political arena follows a high-profile transition from his acting career, where he was known as “Thalapathy”, which means commander. His dual-constituency strategy mirrors that of legendary leader Jayalalithaa in 1991, though his move has drawn criticism from DMK's Udhayanidhi Stalin, who mocked the actor for having “one leg in each seat”.ALSO READ | Internet finds new ‘meme template’ as cycling Vijay panics after fan throws petals at him; fans defend TVK chiefDespite facing a CBI investigation into the 2025 Karur stampede and delays in the release of his final film, Jananayakan, Vijay has maintained a "no alliance" stance, calling the BJP an "ideological enemy" and the DMK a “political enemy”.Wealthiest candidateBorn in 1974, Joseph Vijay is the son of director SA Chandrasekhar. In his 2026 election affidavit, he declared assets worth over ₹624 crore, including ₹404 crore in movable assets, making him the wealthiest candidate in the fray.His personal life has also been in the spotlight following a divorce petition filed by his wife, Sangeetha, with whom he has a son, Jason Sanjay, and a daughter, Divya Sasha.ALSO READ | Vijay claims opponents waited till month before election to leak divorce news; spread rumours about those close to himThe Perambur seatThe Perambur constituency is the largest in Chennai with 2,22,792 voters, while Tiruchirappalli East has 2,17,397 voters. Both segments have significant working-class and Christian populations, which are key to Vijay's electoral prospects. In Perambur, he is facing DMK incumbent RD Sekar, and in Trichy East, he is pitted against the DMK’s Inigo Irudayaraj and AIADMK's K Rajasekaran.If he were to win, he has promised to provide ₹4,000 monthly assistance for graduates, ₹2,500 monthly aid for women, a sovereign gold and silk saree as wedding gifts for young women, and a guarantee that all government examinations will be conducted without delays.What happened in the previous elections?In the 2021 Assembly elections, both constituencies chosen by Vijay were won by the DMK-led alliance. In Perambur, DMK’s RD Sekar secured victory with a comfortable margin, continuing the seat's tradition of favouring the major Dravidian parties. Similarly, in Tiruchirappalli East, the DMK’s Inigo Irudayaraj won the seat, leveraging his influence among the local electorate.ALSO READ | ‘Wants to be a lion, but has to get on ground’: Why Vijay’s TVK is not in an alliance for Tamil Nadu election 2026Historically, Perambur has rotated between the DMK, AIADMK, and Left parties, while Trichy East has also been a battleground for the two Dravidian giants. Vijay’s decision to contest solo marks the first time that a cinema-backed new party is attempting to turn the state's traditional two-way contest into a three-way battle without the help of a major alliance.The 2026 Tamil Nadu polls will see voting on April 23, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 4. Vijay's TVK faces the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance.