Chennai

Actor-turned-politician Vijay arrived at the headquarters of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in Panaiyur, Chennai, on Tuesday morning following the party’s remarkable debut in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

Senior party leaders, including General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna, also reached the party office ahead of a crucial strategy meeting expected to shape the party’s next political move.

Making an extraordinary entry into state politics, TVK secured 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly, emerging as a major force and significantly altering Tamil Nadu’s traditional political landscape. Although the party fell short of the 118-seat majority mark by 10 seats, its performance has positioned it at the centre of government formation discussions.

Vijay is expected to hold consultations with the newly elected legislators later in the day to discuss possible alliances and the roadmap ahead.

Security was tightened around Vijay’s residence in Nilankarai as well as the party headquarters in Panaiyur, where large numbers of supporters gathered to welcome the actor-politician amid celebrations.

Party workers hailed the electoral outcome as a turning point in Tamil Nadu politics, with many expressing hope that Vijay would soon assume the state’s top political office.

TVK’s impressive performance disrupted the long-standing dominance of the Dravidian parties, ending the decades-old two-party grip of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Several high-profile leaders suffered defeats at the hands of TVK candidates, including Chief Minister M. K. Stalin in Kolathur, veteran leader Duraimurugan, Union Minister L. Murugan, and former Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan.

Vijay himself registered victories from both Tiruchirappalli East and Perambur, underlining his ability to convert cinematic popularity into electoral success.

READ MORE: Firdous Khan's journey is a blend of literature and journalism

Among the notable upsets, TVK’s M S Babu defeated Stalin in Kolathur by 8,795 votes, while M Sudhakar unseated Duraimurugan in Katpadi by 7,309 votes. In one of the closest contests of the election, TVK candidate Seenivasa Sethupathy edged past DMK minister K R Periyakaruppan by just a single vote.