Will not buckle under pressure; AIADMK and DMK have cheated people: Vijay

Chennai: Bringing the AIADMK into the line of fire by dubbing it a “corrupt slave force” along with the DMK and accusing both of “cheating” the people repeatedly, actor Vijay Sunday declared he will never “buckle” under political pressure and that his Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) will face the 2026 assembly elections “confidently” with or without allies.

The party also released a logo for the 2026 polls that describes Vijay as the “people’s Chief Ministerial candidate” with TVK’s election symbol Whistle occupying a prominent place.

Through this, the TVK sent a strong message to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which has been sending feelers to the actor to join the combine to take on the DMK.

NDA leaders maintain that the practical option before Vijay was to ally with them rather than contesting alone and risking fewer or no seats, even if TVK garners an impressive vote share.

However, Vijay has so far resisted engaging with the BJP, and Sunday’s meeting has sent a clear signal that TVK is not interested in joining the NDA.

In his 17-minute speech at a meeting of TVK office-bearers at a resort in Mamallapuram, Vijay, who addressed a political meeting after 38 days, gave an assurance to the people that he will never indulge in corruption like the DMK and AIADMK, which “cheated the people repeatedly.”

“Do you think there is pressure? Do I look like a person who will crumble? It will never happen to us,” Vijay said, referring to speculation that he was under pressure from the BJP regarding the release of his film Jana Nayagan and the CBI probe into the Karur stampede.

“Yes, there is pressure, but it is on the people of Tamil Nadu. While those who ruled us earlier (AIADMK) surrendered directly to the BJP, those who are ruling us now (DMK) have surrendered indirectly to the same BJP,” he said, adding that he did not enter politics to “submit” or become a “slave”.

This is likely the first time Vijay has harshly criticized the AIADMK, calling it a “corrupt-slave force”. Political analysts interpret the criticism as Vijay’s way of closing the door on the Edappadi K Palaniswami-led party, which heads the NDA in Tamil Nadu.

Though Vijay didn’t directly speak about the stalling of his movie or the CBI probe, his speech contained plenty of hints that pressure tactics won’t work on him . TVK will contest the elections independently and refuse to join any alliance where the actor-politician must play second fiddle.

By talking about corruption, Vijay aims to make graft a centrepiece of his campaign , as both DMK and AIADMK leaders face allegations of corruption and malpractices.

“I won't indulge in corruption like those who ruled before (AIADMK) or those ruling now (DMK). I won't touch even a paisa. I don't need it at all. I won't let corruption take place in my regime. You might ask, is this a movie where Vijay can come and clean the system in a day? It might not be possible practically, but it is a process, right?” he said.

Blowing on the whistle -- his party’s election symbol -- Vijay repeated his famous dialogue “cup mukkiyam, bigilu” (“the trophy is important”) from his movie Bigil, signifying the importance TVK attaches to the 2026 polls.

Harping on his No. 1 status in the Tamil film industry, Vijay said he left a flourishing career at its peak to serve the people who had trusted him for 33 years as an actor. He also branded both the DMK and AIADMK as “two sides of the same coin” by accusing both of forgetting the ideals of Dravidian stalwart C.N. Annadurai, who exhorted cadres to go to the people and work for them.

“I have faith in my people. They will not let me down,” he said.

Vijay, for the first time, tried to discipline his cadres and functionaries by asking them not to indulge in wrongdoing and work together unitedly to achieve victory in the elections. In the same vein, he asked district and state-level office-bearers to allow cadres to work on the ground without much interference.

Alleging that a booth is just a place for “rigging votes” for the DMK and AIADMK, Vijay said, for the TVK an election booth is a democratic hub, and asked his cadres to ensure democracy is not stolen by protecting every vote.

“Go to every house. No matter which party they are in, people have let me inside their homes. Go to them and talk to them. Bring them to the booths to vote for our whistle symbol. Our victory lies in the fieldwork you will do in these three months. Extend your full support to the candidates we'll announce soon,” he said.

Talking about how TVK was being underestimated, Vijay said those who have been criticising him are now beginning to recognise him as a “political force”, while asserting that the people of Tamil Nadu have already made up their minds.

Vijay also narrated how Velu Nachiyar, the queen of Sivaganga, won against the British and Arcot armies with her allies Chinna Marudhu, Periya Marudhu, and Syed Karim to drive home his point that hard work can help them reclaim Tamil Nadu.

“Election is a democratic battle and the BLAs are frontline warriors. We will win with or without allies. More importantly, we have the support of women which has shaken the political landscape. We have a power-packed force,” he added.