Vijay: Chief ministerial candidate for 2026 election
Setting the stage for a third front in a possible multi-cornered contest in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay on Friday ruled out an alliance with either the DMK or the BJP.
He said that if there were any alliance in the future, it would be led by the TVK and opposed to both the DMK and the BJP.
The party announced Mr. Vijay as its chief ministerial candidate for the 2026 election and authorized him to make decisions on matters of alliance. Mr. Vijay will tour the State from September. The party is also planning to host its second State conference in August.
Speaking at the executive committee meeting at the party headquarters in Panaiyur on the outskirts of Chennai, Mr. Vijay accused both the DMK and the AIADMK of forming alliances with the BJP for “selfish political gains”.
Mr. Vijay accused the ruling BJP at the Centre of exploiting the religious sentiments of the people for political gains and attempting to create divisions in society. “While such toxic strategies may work elsewhere, they will never succeed in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
“Social justice, communal harmony, brotherhood, and equality are deeply rooted in the soil of Tamil Nadu. Any political party that insults Thanthai Periyar [E.V. Ramasamy], Arignar Anna [C.N. Annadurai], or other leaders respected by the people of Tamil Nadu cannot win here. The BJP will never succeed if it disrespects such leaders,” Mr. Vijay said.
He criticised the DMK government for the proposed greenfield airport project at Parandur in Kancheepuram district. “The project would affect hundreds of acres of farmland, waterbodies, and houses, besides the livelihood of farmers,” he said. According to him, aviation safety experts had deemed the location unfit for an airport.
He urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to hold talks with those who were protesting against the project and assure them that the airport would not be established at the site. He also wrote a four-page letter to Mr. Stalin, detailing his party’s opposition to the project.
The party is set to host meetings with booth-level agents in July and has set an ambitious target of enrolling two crore members. It also plans to host public outreach programmes at the zonal, district, and branch levels in July and August.
The executive committee passed 20 resolutions, including those opposing the expansion of the SIPCOT project at Melma and the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar; demanding settlement of dues to sugar cane farmers and compensation for mango farmers affected by falling prices; and calling for strict action against illegal sand and mineral mining.
It also demanded jobs for those who gave up land for NLC India Limited, called for tripartite negotiations to resolve the wage demands of powerloom workers, and condemned the DMK government for custodial deaths.
The party reiterated its support for the two-language policy and criticized the Centre for allegedly suppressing evidence of Tamil civilisation at Keeladi. It also opposed the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal and the delimitation exercise.