TVK’s rise sparks NTR-MGR comparisons in south politics
Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam drew comparisons with N. T. Rama Rao after early electoral success, joining rare film stars-turned-politicians like MGR, Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan, Kamal Haasan, and Vijayakanth in South Indian politics
Hyderabad/Chennai: As the TVK inched towards a majority mark to form government in Tamil Nadu, a unique commonality emerged between the party founder Vijay and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu matinee icon NTR. Vijay became the second person, after Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N T Rama Rao (popularly known as NTR), to achieve electoral success within two years of forming his own party.
Though late Chief Minister M G Ramachandran founded his own party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in 1972, he ascended to the ruling saddle in 1977 in Tamil Nadu. Counting of votes polled in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on April 23 was taken up on Monday, with Vijay’s TVK cruising ahead of its Dravidian rivals DMK and AIADMK. The party needs 118 MLAs in the 234-member House to form a government of its own.
Within nine months of floating his party, NTR went on to sweep the 1983 Assembly elections in undivided Andhra Pradesh, bringing to an end, the 27 year Congress rule. On January 9, 1983, he became the CM.
Vijay, who formed his party two years ago, has once again demonstrated that film popularity can translate into political gains although many other stars could not achieve similar success.
Movie stars entering politics is not uncommon in South India. However, several actors who ventured into politics could not sustain their presence for long. Superstar Chiranjeevi launched his own party, Praja Rajyam, in 2008, which later merged with the Congress in 2011.
Praja Rajyam contested the 2009 Assembly elections and won 18 seats in the 294-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly (undivided). Later, Chiranjeevi distanced himself from active politics. Chiranjeevi’s brother, Pawan Kalyan, founded the Jana Sena Party in 2014. However, he did not contest elections that year. He entered the electoral fray in 2019 but lost both the Assembly constituencies he contested, while only one candidate from his party was elected. In 2024, however, he joined hands with the TDP and led his party to a remarkable victory, winning 21 seats with a strike rate of 100 per cent.
In Tamil Nadu, veteran Kamal Haasan founded the Makkal Needhi Maiam in 2018. He contested from Coimbatore South in 2021 Assembly polls but lost narrowly. Later, he aligned with the DMK and became a Rajya Sabha member in 2025. Another popular Tamil actor Vijayakanth, known as ‘Captain,’ founded the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) in 2005.
In its maiden electoral foray the next year, DMDK put up a good show, with Vijayakanth winning from Vriddachalam. In 2011 elections, he aligned with the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK and became Leader of Opposition. Vijayakanth passed away in December 2023 and his party is now a part of the DMK-led SPA.
