Actor and founder of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam Vijay waves at supporters during his pary's first political conference, at Vikravandi in Villupuram district, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Vikravandi: From the cool climbs of Kodaikanal to the severely humid Vikravandi, Dinesh rode his two-wheeler for about 12 hours with his wife Jayasri to listen to their childhood “heartthrob” Vijay declare the ideology of his Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) on Sunday.
The couple, who had in the past voted for the DMK and Naam Tamizhar Katchi of S Seeman, came all the way, riding 500 km, not just to look at their star but to pledge support to him.
V Salai – the venue of the first state conference of TVK, located 150 km from Chennai – wore a festive and celebratory look for the whole of Sunday with the crowd of Vijay’s fans and supporters surging every hour.
Traffic on the Chennai-Tiruchirapalli National Highway was diverted to allow seamless movement of fans who came in lakhs to take a glimpse of their beloved actor, who had just worn the hat of a politician.
People walked kilometers together – anywhere between three to five km -- from the designated parking lots and the NH to the venue, which was nothing but a sea of people. Various estimates put the crowd at over three lakh with young and old, both men and women, walking and singing popular numbers of Vijay and shouting slogans supporting him.
Ambulances also zipped past the venue as several people took ill due to the scorching sun. Police had a tough time controlling the crowd and making way for ambulances.
Dinesh and Jayasri, both 23 years old, said they have come to witness the state witnessing a new chapter in its political history.
“I have liked him (Vijay) since my childhood, and there is no doubt that I am going to vote for him in 2026. We believe he would be the change agent that Tamil Nadu has been looking for,” Jayasri told DH, as her husband Dinesh tied a towel with TVK’s flag colours as a band around her head.
Dinesh said it took about 12 hours for them to reach Vikravandi from Kodaikanal, and they rode back to their hometown after the rally ended. “I had voted thrice in the past, and I made a conscious decision to vote for Seeman. Now, my vote is only for Vijay,” he said.
The crowd understandably was dominated by youngsters and first-time voters who had come from far-away places to see Vijay in person for at least once. 17-year-old Janakiraman from Gudiyatham in Vellore district will be eligible to exercise his voting right only next year, but he has already decided to vote for Vijay.
“I think he will be much better than the existing leaders and parties,” Janakiraman told DH. “I don’t care much about ideology. I know he is good at heart and that’s enough for me,” he quipped when asked how he can be so sure of voting for Vijay, who is only taking his baby steps in politics.
The roads and the venue were painted with red, yellow, green, and blue, the colours that feature in TVK’s flag, which could be seen everywhere from Chennai to Vikravandi.
Local merchants and vendors had a field day with many local brands utilising the opportunity to market their products through 1+1 offer for ice creams and other products.
While the crowd was enthusiastic and cheered for every “political punches” Vijay delivered , it remains to be seen whether the mass support will travel with Vijay till the polling stations.