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Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam
Indian political party From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (transl. Tamilakam Victory Federation; abbr. TVK) is an Indian regional political party in the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It was founded on 2 February 2024 by actor-turned-politician Vijay, who became its president. The headquarters of the party is in Chennai.[10][11]
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History
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Origins and foundation
During the early 2000s, actor Vijay had an extensive network of fan clubs across Tamil Nadu. Around 2009, these fan clubs were brought together under a structured "Narpani Iyakkam" (welfare association), aimed at organizing philanthropic and community service activities. On 26 July 2009, this initiative was formally launched as Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (transl. Vijay's People Movement) in Pudukkottai.[12][13]
The Iyakkam supported the AIADMK-led Alliance in the 2011 legislative assembly elections. Over the years, while the organization maintained a low-profile political stance, it began attracting attention as Vijay made politically resonant statements in his films and during public appearances. In October 2021, the organization contested the local body elections in Tamil Nadu independently and won 115 out of the 169 seats it contested.[14][15] Vijay also publicly criticized the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, calling it "unacceptable" as it would disrupt the social and religious harmony of the nation.[16]
On 2 February 2024, Vijay announced the launch of his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and stated its intent to contest the 2026 elections.[17][18] The formation of TVK marked the culmination of a long-standing political buildup from his fan base. Over the years, Vijay's fan clubs—reportedly numbering around 85,000 across Tamil Nadu, each with at least 25 members—had been organized under Vijay Makkal Iyakkam, a registered welfare association. These fan clubs have now transformed into a political cadre forming the backbone of TVK's grassroots structure.[19]
N. Anand is currently serving as the general secretary of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.[20] In July 2024, Vijay publicly called for a ban on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), stating that it was biased against rural students.[citation needed] He also demanded that the subjects of education and sanitation be moved from the Concurrent List back to the State List.[21][22]
In September 2024, TVK announced its ideological alignment with left-of-centre values, embracing Ambedkarism, Periyarism, and Marxism.[7] The party rejected any association with right-wing ideologies and declared its political opposition to the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu and the BJP at the national level.[citation needed] Ahead of the party’s first political conference, Vijay paid tribute to leaders like Periyar, Ambedkar, Kamaraj, and Muthuramalinga Thevar, signaling ideological clarity.[7][23]
On 27 October 2024, TVK held its first political conference in Vikravandi, attended by over 800,000 people.[24] The event showcased large cutouts of Periyar, Ambedkar, Velu Nachiyar, Kamaraj, and others, affirming them as TVK’s ideological pillars.[25][26] Vijay officially unveiled the party’s ideology as “Secular Social Justice”, supporting social justice, secularism, egalitarianism, two-language policy, and democracy.[9][6]
During the conference, Vijay indirectly targeted BJP and DMK, calling BJP an "ideological opponent" and DMK a "political adversary" due to alleged corruption and dynastic politics.[27] On 3 November 2024, the party passed 26 resolutions criticizing both central and state governments.[28][29]
Since the conference, TVK has attracted substantial youth support, prompting traditional parties like DMK and AIADMK to increase efforts to retain their voter base ahead of the 2026 elections.[30]
On 13 February 2025, TVK announced a large-scale organizational expansion aimed at strengthening its booth-level presence across Tamil Nadu. The party declared its plan to appoint over 70,000 booth agents and restructure its internal hierarchy in preparation for the 2026 state elections. This marked a shift in focus from movement-building and ideological outreach to electoral consolidation and field-level readiness.[31]
On 26 April 2025, Vijay addressed a booth agents and party functionaries meeting in Coimbatore as part of TVK’s 2026 election preparations. He instructed cadre to enrol new members and strengthen the party at the grassroots, with the goal of deploying over 70,000 booth-level agents across Tamil Nadu. Reaffirming TVK’s commitment to clean politics, Vijay vowed to establish a corruption-free, transparent, and accountable government. He urged party workers to stay honest, reject bribes, and win public trust through genuine service.[32][33]
On 9 June 2025, TVK held a major induction event at its Panaiyur headquarters in Chennai, during which several individuals—including former MLAs, retired officials, and members of other political parties—formally joined the party in the presence of TVK founder Vijay. As part of this expansion, K.G. Arunraj, a former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, was appointed as the General Secretary for Propaganda and Policy Development. Arunraj’s entry was seen as a significant step in professionalizing the party’s organizational and ideological outreach ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections.[34][35]
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Electoral performance
State Legislative Assembly elections[citation needed]
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Prominent members
List of party leaders
Presidents
General Secretaries
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See also
References
External links
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