Chennai: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) national spokesperson Felix Gerald on Monday expressed confidence that the party would form the government in Tamil Nadu with an absolute majority, as initial election trends showed the party "scaling high."
TVK emerges as formidable force
Gerald stated that the results were expected and claimed that the people of Tamil Nadu have chosen TVK because they are "fed up" with established parties. "They may have experience of 50 or 75 years, but they have got experience only in looting the state," Gerald said, adding that the electorate trusts TVK as the alternative.
Responding to queries regarding party leader Vijay's limited media presence during the campaign, Gerald noted that the leader prefers "talking directly to the people" rather than through the media.
Five reasons for TVK's rise
- Massive fan mobilisation at rallies: Vijay's early political meetings drew large crowds of fans-turned-supporters, with visuals of packed venues and strong youth participation becoming a recurring highlight. The mobilisation gave TVK visibility far beyond its organisational base.
- 'No alliance politics': The party's early messaging focused on going solo, without aligning with DMK or AIADMK, projecting itself as an alternative political force in Tamil Nadu's Dravidian landscape.
- A whistle of change: TVK's campaign leaned heavily on anti-incumbency sentiment, governance criticism and a "change" pitch, particularly targeting allegations of corruption and gaps in civic development.
- Outreach through social media: The party relied extensively on digital outreach, fan networks and online mobilisation, allowing it to bypass traditional booth-level party machinery and directly reach younger voters.
- Star power reigns supreme: A major talking point has been whether Vijay's film popularity can translate into electoral strength against the entrenched structures of DMK and AIADMK, making TVK's debut a closely watched political experiment.
'We worked without money'
Gerald dismissed previous criticisms and media narratives that suggested the party would struggle to win even a single seat, pointing to the high voter turnout as evidence of public support. Taking a swipe at the DMK for allegedly ignoring TVK during the election battle, the spokesperson remarked, "They were closing their eyes and running in a dark room. Now they will understand the world they live in."
Despite the trends being in the initial stages, Gerald remained firm on the party's prospects, asserting that TVK will form the government without any outside support.
As the party raced to the leading position in over 101 constituencies, at TVK headquarters in Panaiyur, supporters were seen carrying images of party leader Vijay, with one worker named Thangaraj stating, "He resides in my heart, that is why we have his image pinned to our chests."
Supporters emphasised that their campaign was fueled by grassroots effort rather than financial inducements, with Thangaraj noting, "We worked without money. In other parties, they worked because they were given money, but we worked without it." The party expressed a firm belief in securing a simple majority on its own, with Thangaraj adding, "We will definitely win and become the CM with an individual majority."
Kaspar Raja from the Pallavaram constituency echoed this optimism, suggesting that the party has confidence it will "touch 130" seats and achieve a "single majority." He noted that if the party comes to power, "It will be a people's government. We 100 per cent believe he will do good for the people."
A TVK representative dismissed initial scepticism from political rivals, characterising the trend as a mandate for change because "people are fed up" and "they have got experience only in looting the state."
