Chennai: Tamil superstar Thalapathy Vijay, who heads Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam, launched his political party's flag here today. The party flag and anthem introduction ceremony was held this morning at the party office in Panayur. More than 300 people including Vijay's mother Shoba and father Chandrasekhar were present at the event. Vijay is aiming to make big strides in the 2026 Assembly elections and has already announced that he will retire from movies after his action thriller GOAT, set to be released on September 5.
The red and yellow coloured flag features the "Vaagai" flower at the center with one war elephant on either side of the central motif. In the Sangam period, kings had worn garlands made of these flowers to symbolise victory. It has horizontal stripes with red on the top and bottom, and yellow stripe in between, carrying the main motif.
While unveiling his party flag and symbol, actor chief Vijay took a pledge along with party workers and leaders at the party office. The plegde read: "We will always appreciate the fighters who fought and sacrificed their life for the liberation of our country and countless soldiers who fought tirelessly for the rights of our people from Tamil soil…I will remove the differences in the name of caste, religion, gender, place of birth, create awareness among the people and strive for equal opportunities and equal rights for all. I solemnly affirm that I will uphold the principle of equality for all living beings."
In February this year, Vijay had announced the launch of Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam and said he will be contesting the 2026 assembly polls in the state. His party did not support any political bloc in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections, where the DMK-led alliance swept the polls in Tamil Nadu. The South actor's entry into politics will certainly change the present political combinations in Tamil Nadu.
A superstar in his own right, his fan club "Vijay Makkal Iyyakam" has ten lakh members. The fan club was founded immediately after his entry as a lead actor in the movie Naalaiya Theerpu (1992) and is now registered as the "All India Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyyakam" (AITVMI). In the 2021 local body polls, the AITVMI contested 169 seats and won 115, with Vijay's fan club outdoing fellow superstars Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) and Seeman's Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), both of which drew a blank. However, actors like Sivaji Ganesan, Vijayakanth, and Kamal Haasan were not that successful in their political stints.
He will follow a list of Tamil film matinee idols who entered politics, right from the iconic M.G.Ramachandran (MGR) who floated the AIADMK and went on to become one of the most popular Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu to Dr J.Jayalalithaa, who was also a matinee idol and went to become one of the notable Chief Ministers of the state. Tamil movie industry's living legend, Rajinikanth had announced his political entry just before the 2016 Assembly polls, but subsequently backed off citing ill health.
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