The second TVK convention unfolded extra like a grand competition than a political gathering, with Madurai’s outskirts turning right into a sea of people Thursday.

Vijay’s supporters started pouring in from Wednesday evening onwards, and by the point the actor-politician made his entry, the Parapathi open floor alongside the Madurai-Thoothukudi freeway was filled with tens of hundreds of individuals waving flags and chanting slogans in help of the get together.

Throughout Vijay’s stroll alongside a 300-metre ramp close to the stage, the deafening cheers of supporters rose in waves, making a political present of energy.

Addressing the gathering, for the primary time Vijay took a dig at regional rival AIADMK, aside from assaults at his important political enemy, the ruling DMK, and ideological enemy BJP in energy on the Centre.

He instructed the crowds that historical past would repeat itself in Tamil Nadu, referring to the years 1967, when the DMK led by C.N. Annadurai got here to energy within the state for the primary time, and 1977, when the AIADMK led by M.G. Ramachandran obtained energy.

“I didn’t get the possibility to work together with MGR. However I had the chance to affiliate with my brother, Captain Vijayakanth, who dreamed like MGR. Historical past is about to repeat itself. Simply as political modifications occurred in Tamil Nadu in 1967 and 1977, I firmly consider that such historical past will repeat in 2026,” he instructed the gathering, including that the voice that resonated on the convention was not his alone, however a collective voice of Tamil Nadu. The state is due for meeting elections subsequent 12 months.

With out taking its identify, he focused the AIADMK for being in alliance with the BJP.

“So long as MGR was there, nobody may even dream of taking the CM’s seat. However who has protected the get together that MGR based? What’s the state of that get together now? Harmless get together employees are struggling, unable to talk out about its situation,” he mentioned.

Vijay subsequent attacked the DMK saying that it was in a discrete alliance with the BJP.

“When in opposition, they are saying, ‘Go, Modi’; when in energy, they are saying, ‘come’. That is the illicit relationship between the DMK and BJP. Stalin uncle, what’s this, uncle? It’s very incorrect, uncle,” he mentioned, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tamil Nadu CM M.Okay. Stalin.

He additionally questioned the DMK authorities for “not fulfilling” the guarantees made through the 2021 meeting election.

“Is there security for girls, legislation and order, justice, and a corruption-free system in your authorities, Stalin uncle? Is it sufficient to present girls a thousand rupees? What about their security? You might be deceiving authorities workers, academics, farmers, fishermen—everybody. Have they fulfilled all their guarantees? In 2026, we are going to pack up and ship this authorities,” Vijay instructed the gathering.

He subsequent questioned the central authorities for not retrieving Katchatheevu island from Sri Lanka and never abolishing the NEET entrance examination.

“Prime Minister Modi, you’re holding the reins of the central authorities for the third time. Did you come to energy to serve all of the folks or to conspire towards our Muslim associates? On behalf of the folks, I’ve some questions for you. Did you retrieve Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka? Did you abolish the NEET examination? You refuse to do what is sweet and crucial for us. You run a minority authorities with the covert help of an RSS-driven alliance,” Vijay alleged.

He reaffirmed that the DMK was a political enemy and the BJP an ideological enemy.

Within the first convention at Vikravandi, though Vijay had spoken about his political and ideological enemies, he had not taken any names. However this time, he named the DMK and BJP as enemies in entrance of the gathering in Madurai.

With this, political analysts mentioned, the TVK chief has positioned himself as the principle political contender in Tamil Nadu, as a substitute of a brand new entrant.

“He has provide you with ideological readability and has clearly positioned himself as the first opponent. That is the stark distinction between his first convention in October 2024 and second one in Madurai now,” political analyst Priyan Srinivasan instructed ThePrint.

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Additionally Learn: At TVK normal physique meet, Vijay calls DMK ‘fascist’ and points a phrase of warning to PM Modi

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‘Each TVK vote is a vote for me’

At Vikravandi, Vijay had laid out his get together’s ideological basis. Evoking Periyar, Ambedkar, Kamaraj, Velu Nachiyar and Anjalai Ammal because the TVK’s ideological mentors, he rooted the get together as a secular and social justice get together.

Though he evoked Periyar’s ideology, centered round rationalism, self-respect, social justice, girls’s rights and the eradication of caste and non secular discrimination, he was cautious to reject Periyar’s “anti-God” stance, signalling inclusivity.

Although the TVK was barely months previous in October 2024, Vijay had declared the get together would contest the 2026 meeting elections, and was open to alliances however agency about his management.

Quick ahead to Madurai, and the arrogance and affirmation in Vijay’s phrases stood out.

On a grand stage on the Madurai-Thoothukudi freeway, flanked by cut-outs of MGR, Annadurai, and himself, Vijay declared that the TVK was not “another” however the major pressure that may win Tamil Nadu in 2026.

His slogan ‘Varalaru Thirumbugiradhu: Vetri Peraniyil Tamil Nadu’ (historical past repeats: Tamil Nadu on a victorious march) was each a marketing campaign pitch and a political declare. He intentionally invoked former CMs Annadurai and MGR to woo the disillusioned AIADMK voter base.

Addressing the gathering, Vijay appealed to the folks to vote for his get together.

“Each vote for TVK is a vote for me. I’m the maternal uncle of each youngster in Tamil Nadu. I, your Vijay, have come to work sincerely for you. I’ll stand with the folks all my life. I’ve entered politics solely to do good. Serving the folks is my obligation. I’m the image of the get together,” Vijay instructed the gathering.

Political analysts mentioned Vijay’s tone in Madurai was not about establishing ideology—that had been accomplished in Vikravandi—however about asserting inevitability.

“Vijay projected himself because the chief minister-in-waiting, positioning TVK not on the margins however on the centre of Tamil Nadu’s political battlefield. Whether or not it materialises or not, relies upon upon the work he places forth within the subsequent 10 months,” mentioned political analyst A. Ramasamy, former professor within the Tamil division at Manonmaniam Sundaranar College.

Political analyst N. Sathiya Moorthy identified one other shift in Vijay’s stance since his first convention.

“In Vikravandi, Vijay was open to companions, acknowledging that profitable the bulk within the meeting polls is probably not sure. However, in Madurai, the narrative had shifted. He mentioned that TVK would contest all 234 seats if crucial, and any alliance would solely be below Vijay’s management,” he instructed ThePrint.

DMK & AIADMK ‘watchful’

Though the DMK and AIADMK refuse to tackle Vijay on report, contemplating his mass help base, each events are cautious about his political journey.

A senior DMK chief who didn’t need to be named mentioned the get together has mentioned how Vijay may harm their vote base of their strongholds.

“He virtually has the identical ideology as ours. However we shouldn’t have the help base of the Gen Z voters as a lot as he has now. We’re watchful of his get together’s actions on the bottom and are engaged on the constituencies the place they may take a lion’s share of our voter base,” the DMK chief instructed ThePrint.

On the AIADMK’s half, the get together has already recognized not less than 15 constituencies the place Vijay might play spoiler.

“Our inside surveys present he is perhaps a spoilsport in not less than 15 constituencies throughout the state, of which the bulk are within the northern area, the place Vijay organised his first convention,” an AIADMK chief aware of the survey instructed ThePrint.

Whereas political analysts welcome the ambition of Vijay to change into Tamil Nadu CM in 2026, they stress on the TVK’s must do groundwork forward of the state polls.

“What stays is the ground-level consolidation: sales space committees, candidate choice, and alliance calculus. If the TVK can convert its convention crowds into structured votes, Tamil Nadu might nicely witness a critical third pressure since MGR’s AIADMK in 1977,” Srinivasan mentioned.

For now, Vijay is not simply an actor coming into politics, however a politician staking declare to rule Tamil Nadu.

(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)

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Additionally Learn: A cutout price a thousand phrases: Why Vijay is utilizing Annadurai & MGR’s pictures at TVK convention

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