Actor-politician Vijay Wednesday sought to decisively end weeks of speculation over his party’s alliance plans, using a carefully staged Ramzan Iftar gathering to assert that Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) would remain anchored to a “secular social justice” path — a message widely read as ruling out any tie-up with the BJP-led NDA.
The statement came against the backdrop of intense political chatter about TVK’s options, including possible negotiations with the NDA, and just two days after The Indian Express reported on a Rs 5 crore financial constraint affecting the party’s ability to field candidates in state’s 234 assembly seats. It also followed confirmation that the Congress would remain with the DMK, effectively closing off what had been seen as Vijay’s last viable alliance route.
Speaking at an indoor Iftar event in Mamallapuram, where he stood amid a cheering crowd and addressed attendees with a mike in hand, Vijay acknowledged the confusion that had built around his party since its launch.
“There were a lot of speculations about our party since the day we entered politics — calling us that team or this team,” he said. “But when everyone realised we are a people’s team, they had to find out new narratives. That is when speculations and rumours about different alliances emerged. You all must have been all confused listening to all these.”
He then moved to what appeared to be the central message of the evening, delivered in a tone of reassurance directed particularly at minority communities.
“Let me clarify one thing here — we always belong to the secular ideology and secular social justice political stand — we will never compromise on that,” Vijay said, drawing loud applause from the audience.
The choice of venue and occasion underscored that message. The Iftar gathering, held as part of Ramzan observances, was positioned by the party as an outreach effort towards the Muslim community. The event, conducted from 6 pm at a venue in Mamallapuram, was attended by around 1,000 invitees, with entry restricted to those holding official invitations.
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According to the party, the programme was organised with prior permission from the Election Commission, in compliance with the Model Code of Conduct in force during the election period. The indoor format and limited attendance reflected both regulatory requirements and a controlled attempt to communicate a political signal without the optics of a mass rally.
Vijay’s remarks, while not naming any alliance explicitly, were a categoric rejection of joining hands with the NDA, particularly at a time when senior leaders of the AIADMK and BJP had publicly criticised TVK functionary Aadhav Arjuna over his remarks on actor Rajinikanth.
Vijay’s emphasis on “secular ideology” and “social justice” was to reassure minority voters and signal ideological distance from the BJP, while also attempting to stabilise perceptions of his party’s direction after a week of controversies.
He went further to express confidence about the party’s electoral prospects, framing the moment not as one of uncertainty but of impending breakthrough.
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“We are certain that the new government will be led by us. So, by the grace of God, we will certainly achieve the target we set for us,” he said. “I wish all my Muslim brothers and sisters Ramadan wishes. Be confident — only great things are going to happen.”
The speech, though brief, marked Vijay’s most direct intervention so far in clarifying TVK’s political positioning. For weeks, the party had avoided a clear public statement on alliances, even as its leaders sent mixed signals and rival parties speculated openly about possible alignments.
With Congress firmly aligned with the DMK and the AIADMK-BJP combining to consolidate its own front, Vijay’s assertion effectively places TVK in a four-cornered contest alongside the two major alliances and Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK). That decision carries both risk and necessity. Contesting alone allows Vijay to preserve the outsider image that has been central to his political pitch. But it also exposes the party to organisational and financial pressures – concerns that had surfaced sharply in recent days.
