Tamil superstar Thalapathi Vijay unveiled the flag of his newly established political party, Tamilga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), on Thursday at the party headquarters in Paniyur, Chennai. Vijay gave a brief speech after revealing the yellow and red flag. The flag features a symbol of a Vagai flower surrounded by two elephant tusks and stars. During the Sangam era, Tamil kings wore garlands made of Vagai flowers as a symbol of victory.
In his speech, Vijay said, “Our flag will become a symbol of our state. We are also introducing our party anthem along with the flag. Our flag will fly across the country, and Tamil Nadu will be better from now on.” The party’s General Secretary and former Puducherry MLA, Bussi Anand, welcomed the attendees. Vijay’s entry into politics is expected to change Tamil Nadu’s current political landscape. Vijay, who is a star in his own right, has a fan club called ‘Vijay Makkal Iyakkam’ with ten lakh members.
The fan club was established shortly after Vijay’s debut as a lead actor in the film ‘Naalaiya Thirappu’ (1992). Vijay Makkal Iyakkam is now registered as All India Thalapathi Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (AITVMI).
Vijay joins a list of Tamil stars who have made their mark in politics, including actor M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), who founded AIADMK and became one of Tamil Nadu’s most popular Chief Ministers, and Dr. J. Jayalalitha, who also made a significant impact in Tamil Nadu politics.
However, not all Tamil actors succeed in politics. For example, Shivaji Ganesan, Vijaykanth, and Kamal Haasan have not been as successful in Tamil Nadu politics. The living legend of Tamil cinema, Rajinikanth, announced his political entry just before the 2016 assembly elections but later withdrew due to health issues. Vijay’s party has already shown its strength in local body elections. In the 2021 local body elections, AITVMI contested 169 seats and won 115. Vijay is now focusing on the 2026 assembly elections and has announced that he will retire from films after the release of his much-anticipated action thriller, ‘Gota’, in September.
