Vijay’s first day first show in politics: Before he takes the stage, thousands flood rally grounds in Tamil Nadu

However, Vijay’s introduction stands out, not lone due to the fact that of the grade of his stardom, but besides owed to his timing. At 49, Vijay is seen arsenic having deed the saccharine spot — young capable to entreaty to first-time voters and the adjacent generation, yet seasoned capable to beryllium taken earnestly by the state’s much accepted electorate.

On Sunday, dissimilar crowds astatine regular governmental rallies, 70-80 per cent of the attendees were successful their 20s. This is reminiscent of the rally that Telugu superstar-turned-politician Chiranjeevi held for the motorboat of his party, Praja Rajya. Then, arsenic now, millions watched an histrion with an tremendous instrumentality basal denote a caller section successful his career, attempting to modulation their cinematic entreaty into governmental capital.

People astatine the rally crushed successful Vikravandi.

Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party successful Andhra Pradesh, contempt its aboriginal promise, yet fizzled and merged with the Congress. With astir one-and-a-half years near for the adjacent Assembly polls successful Tamil Nadu, keeping up the momentum for his enactment volition beryllium Vijay’s large challenge.

Vijay’s fans are already mounting up comparisons to MGR, Tamil Nadu’s archetypal megastar-turned-chief minister, who successfully leveraged his movie stardom to emergence to powerfulness successful the precocious 1970s.

For Vijay, property is connected his side. Though not an acting seasoned similar Kamal Haasan oregon Rajinikanth, nor possessing a wide governmental ideology oregon backing of established politicians, Vijay is aged capable to bid respect and young capable to link with the disillusioned youth. And with Tamil Nadu’s Opposition AIADMK inactive reeling from Jayalalithaa’s decease and the ruling DMK successful the throes of its ain generational transition, Vijay is strategically poised to perchance capable a vacuum.

The venue of the rally, Vikravandi, is simply a logistical spectacle successful its ain right. Organisers person made meticulous preparations, mounting up implicit 60,000 chairs, arranging caravans for cardinal TVK leaders, and allocating an estimated Rs 50 crore for the lawsuit alone. In a motion to Vijay’s halfway instrumentality base, the arrangements are grand, yet familiar, borrowing a leafage from his past movie merchandise celebrations. Towering cut-outs of Dravidian icons similar Periyar, arsenic good arsenic B R Ambedkar enactment the streets starring to the rally, alongside posters of Vijay’s younger, defiant face. The much than 100-km-long roadworthy from Chennai to Vikravandi has been decked up with banners and flex boards of Vijay.

Vijay’s governmental messaging has a wide absorption connected inclusivity and Tamil pride. TVK’s motorboat anthem, “Tamizhan Kodi Parakuthu… Thalaivan Yugam Porakuthu (The Tamil emblem flies high… A leader’s epoch has begun),” is simply a deliberate effort to echo the state’s cinematic-political nostalgia, harking backmost to the iconic songs of MGR during his meteoric emergence to power. Yet, the lyrics awesome a caller governmental awakening, positioning Vijay arsenic a span betwixt Tamil Nadu’s accepted Dravidian values and emerging modern challenges, specified arsenic acquisition and biology issues.

A apical presumption of supporters arriving up of histrion and Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam main Vijay’s nationalist gathering successful Chennai connected Sunday. (Photo: PTI)

Despite the extended preparations and precocious stakes, enactment insiders accidental that astir of the attendees funded their ain question from suburban and agrarian regions retired of idiosyncratic loyalty to Vijay. For many, it’s an accidental to spot their leader successful person.

His modulation has been years successful the making, meticulously orchestrated done the improvement of his instrumentality club, Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (VMI), which has engaged successful accordant assemblage activities, similar humor donation camps, acquisition drives, and different foundation efforts. By converting VMI into the TVK, Vijay has drawn from a immense reservoir of societal goodwill and marque recognition.

Vijay is wide astir his party’s people – the 20-30 per cent of voters successful Tamil Nadu who stay unaligned to the 2 ascendant Dravidian parties, including a ample conception of youth.

He, however, faces a daunting way ahead. Several movie stars person stumbled successful their attempts to marque a people politically. Vijayakanth, who erstwhile made waves with his Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, yet saw his power wane. Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam failed to make a important impact, and Rajinikanth’s long-anticipated governmental introduction ne'er materialised.

For now, TVK lacks the seasoned governmental operatives that erstwhile backed MGR and Jayalalithaa, oregon adjacent those who lent strategical heft to Vijayakanth. The lack of experienced governmental players could hinder Vijay’s efforts to physique a credible enactment structure.