With heated political disputes surrounding Tamil Nadu’s 2026 Assembly elections, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's KK Anand Mohan made the audacious claim that actor-turned-politician Vijay Joseph would become the state’s next Chief Minister with a huge mandate.
Anand Mohan dismissed recent exit poll forecasts and said, "People should not take them seriously." TVK is likely to surprise political onlookers, he said, with a total of more than 150 seats and the final government in Tamil Nadu. “Do not care about exit polls.
Vijay will form the government with over 150 seats,” Anand Mohan said in response to the party workers and supporters after polling, according to reports. The comment comes amid a slew of post-poll polls showing that the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam alliance will hold sway in the state.
Most exit polls have seen Chief Minister M. K. Stalin and the DMK-led front in a clear lead, but TVK will prove a strong third force with double-digit seats. TVK leaders are also confident the party is performing well enough to get ahead despite the polling. Vijay holds the confidence of party supporters in the state that his popularity among youth voters, first-time voters and moviegoers has translated into an enthusiastic electoral base across the state.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, which was founded only recently, has drawn the interest of Tamil Nadu politics since Vijay’s huge followers and hard-headed campaigns started. The actor, whose party he announced to multiple rallies during the election campaign, portrayed the opposition to, and in opposition to, the DMK and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam as an alternative candidate.
But political analysts remain sceptical about TVK’s chances of winning the power grab he sought to hold in his first election. Although widespread consensus among the public is that this party commands a great deal of attention, more and more polls seem to indicate it plays the part of an influential anti-establishment force rather than a sole victor.
Since Vijay went into the political game, however, Tamil Nadu has become one of the most closely monitored battlegrounds in the country over this election issue. There is so much fanfare and interest for him from his transition from a cinema star to a politician. Looking ahead, day by day, it is to be seen if TVK can outdo expectations and translate star power and Vijay into electoral successes.
Although exit surveys have pointed to a DMK advantage, TVK leaders say they are still hopeful for a big upset. The way they win or lose will determine if Vijay’s political debut is a landmark achievement for the state or just the start of a much longer political career in Tamil Nadu.
