SHAH ALAM: South Indian actor C. Joseph Vijay, popularly known as Thalapathy Vijay, has taken oath as the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, marking one of the biggest political shifts in the state’s modern history.
Vijay was sworn in on May 10, 2026, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, ending the long-standing dominance of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government led by MK Stalin.
The rise of Vijay is being seen as historic not only because he is a film superstar entering politics, but because his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is barely two years old.
Vijay officially launched TVK in February 2024 after years of speculation about his political ambitions.
Despite being a newcomer in electoral politics, the party rapidly built support across Tamil Nadu, especially among youths, first-time voters and Vijay’s massive fan base.
In the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, TVK emerged as the single largest party after winning 108 seats in the 234-member assembly.
However, the party fell short of the 118 seats needed for a simple majority. To form the government, Vijay secured support from alliance partners including Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), giving the coalition enough numbers to take power.
Political observers described the result as a political earthquake in Tamil Nadu, a state traditionally dominated by the DMK and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for decades.
The fall of DMK after decades of dominance
The defeat is especially significant because the DMK has been one of the most powerful political forces in Tamil Nadu for 77 years.
Founded on Sept 17, 1949, by former Chief Minister CN Annadurai, the DMK played a central role in shaping Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian political movement, social justice policies and regional identity politics.
Under Chief Minister MK Stalin, the DMK had completed four years of its current term after returning to power in 2021.
Many expected the party to remain politically strong due to Stalin’s welfare programmes and administrative experience.
However, growing anti-incumbency sentiment, voter fatigue and Vijay’s popularity significantly altered the political landscape.
MK Stalin’s symbolic defeat in Kolathur
One of the biggest shocks of the election was the defeat of MK Stalin in the Kolathur Assembly constituency.
Stalin lost the seat to TVK candidate V. S. Babu. According to the Election Commission of India, after 22 rounds of counting, Babu secured 82,997 votes while Stalin polled 74,202 votes.
Babu defeated Stalin by 8,795 votes in Kolathur, a seat Stalin had represented since the constituency was created in 2008.
This marks the first time Stalin will not represent the seat in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, making it one of the most significant political upsets in recent Tamil Nadu history.
History repeating itself: From MGR to Vijay
Vijay’s political rise has drawn inevitable comparisons to legendary actor and former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran, widely known as MGR.
Like Vijay, MGR was one of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars before entering politics. He founded the AIADMK in 1972 after splitting from the DMK and later became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in 1977.
MGR successfully transformed his cinematic image into political influence, building a loyal mass following that permanently changed Tamil Nadu politics.
Both leaders relied heavily on strong fan clubs, emotional public appeal, welfare-oriented messaging and an image of being close to ordinary people.
However, Vijay now faces a different challenge, proving that TVK can govern effectively and sustain itself beyond his celebrity status.
What lies ahead for Vijay?
Although the election victory is historic, governing Tamil Nadu will be a major test for Vijay and TVK, especially as the state is home to more than 75 million people, over double Malaysia’s population of about 35 million.
The state faces key challenges involving employment, industrial growth, education, inflation, welfare delivery and water management.
Still, for many supporters, Vijay’s swearing-in represents the arrival of a new political era in Tamil Nadu, one that has broken decades of two-party dominance and revived memories of the MGR political phenomenon.