Actor-turned-politician Vijay is poised to replicate the rapid political ascent of N. T. Rama Rao as his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), surged ahead in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, nearing the majority mark required to form government.
If trends hold, Vijay will become only the second leader after NTR to achieve electoral success within two years of launching a political outfit. The TVK is closing in on the 118-seat majority mark in the 234-member Assembly, ahead of Dravidian majors DMK and AIADMK.
NTR had scripted a similar political milestone in 1983 when his Telugu Desam Party swept the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections within nine months of its formation, ending 27 years of Congress rule and propelling him to the chief minister’s post.
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While film stars entering politics is not new in South India, few have matched such swift success. Late Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran, who founded the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 1972, came to power only in 1977.
Similarly, actor Chiranjeevi launched the Praja Rajyam Party in 2008, which later merged with the Congress in 2011 after a modest electoral showing. His brother Pawan Kalyan founded the Jana Sena Party in 2014, though he saw significant electoral success only after aligning with the TDP in 2024.
In Tamil Nadu, Kamal Haasan floated the Makkal Needhi Maiam in 2018 but failed to secure a breakthrough in Assembly elections, later aligning with the DMK.
Another prominent example was Vijayakanth, who founded the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) in 2005 and briefly emerged as a key opposition figure after aligning with the AIADMK in 2011.
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