TN polls 2026

Chennai

Bringing weeks of political speculation to an end, actor-turned-politician Vijay was on Wednesday declared the Chief Ministerial candidate of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The party also authorised him to take all decisions regarding possible alliances, signalling its readiness to contest independently.

The announcement came during a special general council meeting held at a private hotel in Mahabalipuram under Vijay’s leadership. Dressed in his trademark white shirt and stubbled look, Vijay presided over the meeting attended by more than 2,000 general council members, district secretaries, and office-bearers from across the State.

The session began on a sombre note with a two-minute silence for the 41 people who lost their lives in the stampede at TVK’s Karur rally on September 27. Calling it a “painful lesson,” the party vowed to ensure better safety arrangements at future events.

During the meeting, the council adopted 12 key resolutions addressing social, political, and economic concerns. The resolutions highlighted the repeated arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, the growing threat to women’s safety following the Coimbatore sexual assault case, and urged the Election Commission to stop the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, citing fears of voter exclusion.

The party also criticised both the DMK government and the BJP-led Centre for “failing to protect Tamil interests” and demanded a White Paper on industrial investments to promote transparency.

Reaffirming faith in its leader, the council declared Vijay as “the CM candidate loved by all sections,” and authorised him to make all key electoral decisions ahead of the 2026 polls.