Tamil cinema’s top actor C. Joseph Vijay’s fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Monday (May 4, 2026) made a stunning electoral debut, emerging as the single largest party with 107 seats in the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly election. In doing so, it disrupted a nearly half-century-old bipolar landscape dominated by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

Taking on multi-party fronts led by the two Dravidian majors, the TVK, powered almost entirely by Mr. Vijay’s charisma, fell just 11 seats short of the halfway mark in the 234-member House. The party secured an impressive 35% vote share, polling over 1.6 crore votes across regions, communities, and religions. Mr. Vijay himself won from both Perambur and Tiruchi East.

Velusamypuram, located on the outskirts of Karur on the Karur-Erode  Highway, where 41 people were killed during the rally addressed by  Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C. Joseph Vijay on September 27, 2025, witnessed brisk polling on Thursday.

However, the tragedy that shocked the conscience of the nation fails to fade from the memories of the voters. What was meant to be a show of strength for Mr. Vijay turned into one of the country’s deadliest political tragedies. That day, as Mr. Vijay arrived hours after the scheduled time, the crowds swelled and went out of control, leading to the death of 41 persons, including nine children. Many questions remain unanswered.