TVK chief Vijay
CHENNAI: TVK president C Joseph Vijay’s electoral debut was shaped by a tightly controlled campaign run by a close-knit core team, a targeted political strategy against the governing DMK, and a rapid expansion of support among minorities, Dalits and section of women voters.Key members of his circle, including N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, K A Sengottaiyan, Arun Raj, C T R Nirmal Kumar and strategist John Arockiasamy, handled legal, organisational, digital and political operations through the campaign. This core team played a central role in steering TVK through multiple challenges including the Karur stampede, and repeated issues over campaign permissions and candidate selection.Anand, associated with Vijay since the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam days, managed internal coordination and kept the party structure intact after differences emerged over seat allocation.
Election Results 2026
Arjuna handled technical and resource support, while he and CTR Nirmal Kumar led TVK’s digital campaign and coordinated legal efforts, including engaging advocates for the stampede case in Supreme Court. Sengottaiyan’s entry into the party in Nov revived organisational activity at a time when TVK’s campaign had slowed after the stampede.Strategist John Arockiasamy was the fulcrum of this inner circle. Sources said he played a major role in opposing, during internal discussions, an alliance with NDA after the ‘Jana Nayagan’ row. Vijay also maintained a consistent political line. He described DMK as his “political enemy”, while framing the election as a direct contest between M K Stalin and himself. He largely avoided targeting deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami or leaders of alliance parties. The approach helped TVK consolidate sections of anti-incumbency votes without fragmenting the anti-DMK electorate.The campaign also saw TVK expand beyond Vijay’s traditional fan base. The party attracted sections of minorities, fishermen and Dalit voters who had largely backed DMK and its allies in earlier elections. Minority votes appeared split in several constituencies. Vijay, himself a Christian, visited churches, temples and mosques during the campaign and projected himself as a leader for all communities. The secular messaging helped TVK distance itself from identity-based polarisation which has historically had limited acceptance in TN politics. TVK also made gains among women voters, a section that had largely shifted towards DMK after J Jayalalithaa’s death.
