Actor-turned-politician Vijay has firmly rejected pre-poll alliance talks, choosing to keep his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam independent ahead of the 2026 state election. Nearly a month after a stampede at his Karur rally on September 27 killed 41 supporters, Vijay broke his political silence through a party executive committee meeting held on Wednesday. Senior TVK leaders announced the formation of a 28-member executive committee, the party's first formal organisational structure. They also confirmed a special general council meeting scheduled for November 5 in Mamallapuram, where Vijay will make his first public appearance since the tragedy. Despite overtures from BJP, AIADMK, and DMK, TVK reiterated it will contest elections alone with Vijay as the chief ministerial candidate. The party aims to occupy the anti-DMK space independently, drawing comparisons to MGR's breakaway strategy in the late 1970s.
Independent Path Despite Political Overtures
Following the deadly stampede, leaders from BJP and AIADMK publicly reached out to Vijay, suggesting he had no path forward without joining the NDA. The AIADMK portrayed a potential alliance as a generational reset against the DMK. Meanwhile, the DMK invited TVK to an all-party meeting on November 2 to protest the Election Commission's voter roll revision, testing Vijay's political alignment. However, TVK's second-rung leaders firmly stated their stand remains unchanged—neither with BJP nor DMK. Senior leader K G Arunraj announced the party will resume campaigns once the state government formulates a Standard Operating Procedure for political gatherings. The party seeks to reach maximum people without causing public obstruction.
Source: Link