If there is one thing we'll consider with Vijay and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) now winning the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, it is in the elections of a long time ago and not a single popular vote.
Vijay has always been a politician whom most people tend to dismiss as a celebrity-driven enthusiasm, of course, but the results of the election were more recent, indicating a much broader and more orderly political undertaking, which began to form after years of subtle and orchestrated work.
Now TVK’s well-organised IT wing, grassroots marketing and sustained tactical investment in digital are increasingly cited as a primary explanation for the party’s meteoric rise by supporters and analysts alike. Because TVK did well in the Assembly polls, social networks have been inundated with chatter praising the party’s behind-the-scenes preparation.
One phrase that particularly gained traction online is: “Not an overnight CM story, this was a perfectly planned setup from day one.” Political strategists think that TVK’s success was not accidental. Rather, it was the outcome of silent building, careful communication, and constant reach with Tamil Nadu’s young voters.
TVK had one big advantage, which was a highly vocal online and IT wing. Unlike conventional political structures that revolved around rallies and TV campaigns, TVK had constructed a robust online network that effectively connected with up-and-coming youngsters through social media, region-based content, digital mobilisation, and unified messaging.
Long before formal aggressive election campaigns, TVK supporters had developed a robust online presence peddling Vijay’s image in the public eye, including as a leader seeking social justice, governance reforms, education, employment and anti-corruption politics.
TVK IT Wing…
— RS (@RohitSandeepP) May 5, 2026
Not an overnight CM story ,this was a perfectly planned setup from day one👌🏻
Years of groundwork, silent strategy, and strong digital execution led to this moment.@actorvijay 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/zZNZohCc8I
The party’s IT wing is said to have been pivotal in monitoring the mood in the country, pushing back against political censure and amplifying Vijay’s oratory and campaign pledges over platforms like YouTube, X, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp groups.
TVK’s digital gears, analysts say, resembled a current election war room more and wasn’t akin to a traditional fan club network. It’s said that volunteers and social media coordinators laboured district-wide to develop narratives that catered specifically to the region and recruit first-time voters.
What also set TVK apart was its ability to blur Vijay’s cinematic celebrity with political messaging without seeming wholly reliant on celebrity culture. Years later, Vijay slowly transformed from movie icon to socially-minded manager through the appropriate timing of public speeches, welfare activities, student dialogues and issue-based talks.
Even before formally becoming an office-holder, Vijay's public appearances often carried subtle political undertones, observers point out. His speeches at film meetings frequently touched on governance, corruption, education and social disparity – ideas that later would form the basis of TVK’s campaign narrative.
The second major factor behind TVK’s rise was patience. Unlike some celebrity-led political experiments that followed a quick and easy publicity route, TVK seemed to have spent time developing booth-level networks, volunteer processes and voter activity processes quietly before stepping straight into the fray.
The party’s powerful challenge to established Dravidian behemoths like Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is now forcing political analysts to question what power can be wielded by digital-era political mobilisation in Tamil Nadu.
Supporters maintain Vijay’s rise to the power of the CM is never an abrupt surge of emotion, not an impulse to the moment, but a carefully choreographed political project created out of years of systematic effort. TVK’s growth is being hailed as a case study in progressive politics, digital organisation, and long-term planning of elections, as TVK approaches the government-formation stage.
Whether that model transforms the political landscape of Tamil Nadu going forward is something we could yet see, but an important thing is that TVK’s winning a race certainly wasn’t a fluke.
