Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026 | Vijay cutout campaigns as actor stays away from electioneering

Chennai: Every other Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) candidate wants their leader and popular actor Vijay to campaign for them personally.

But with Vijay only making cameo appearances – his party blames the Tamil Nadu police for imposing dozens of conditions for his campaign – the Tiruverumbur candidate in Tiruchirapalli has found a novel way to “get Vijay campaign for him.”

Navalpattu Viji, who is challenging School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, now campaigns with a life-size cut-off Vijay with folded hands. The candidate has also draped TVK’s maroon-yellow flag over the cut-out, which occupies a prominent space in his campaign vehicle.

Viji quit the DMK a fortnight ago and joined the TVK following which he was given a seat to contest. Not just Viji, but TVK candidates from Tiruchirapalli district had hoped that they will be introduced by Vijay during the campaign meeting in the city on April 2. However, Vijay appeared solo atop his campaign van and spoke to people for about 15 minutes.

They are now left with no option but to somehow feature Vijay in their campaign. Viji is seen seeking votes in the name of Vijay by pointing to the cut-out which almost resembles the actor-politician.

Vijay is the only face of the TVK with a section of youngsters and women rallying behind the party, which doesn’t have star campaigners or senior leaders who could campaign for other candidates like in the DMK and AIADMK.

Almost all known faces of the TVK are contesting elections and are confined to their respective constituencies with candidates being forced to fend for themselves. The actor-politician has hardly visited 10 districts after he launched the TVK in 2024 and his constant absence from the campaign trail even during the peak of the assembly elections has forced his party to be on the defensive.

A video of Viji seeking votes using Vijay’s cut-off has now gone viral on social media platforms, especially X, with many “sympathising” with TVK candidates. Several X accounts owing allegiance to the ruling DMK made fun of TVK and Vijay, seeking to know whether the actor has plans to campaign for his party candidates.

DMK functionary S K P Karuna called the Tiruverumbur TVK candidate as a “practical politician” who does what is capable of him. “He doesn’t sit at home like others,” he said, taking a dig at Vijay.