Tamil superstar-turned-politician Vijay, president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has thrown down the gauntlet, declaring the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections a head-to-head battle between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and his fledgling party.

Brushing off the newly revived AIADMK-BJP alliance, Vijay called it irrelevant, asserting that Tamil Nadu’s voters have rejected it three times over.

Speaking in Chennai, Vijay accused the AIADMK of abandoning the principles of its founder, M.G. Ramachandran, claiming, “MGR’s blessings are now with TVK.” He didn’t spare the DMK either, alleging both Dravidian giants covertly back the BJP. “AIADMK is openly with BJP, while DMK is its silent partner,” he charged, positioning TVK as the state’s true alternative.

His remarks follow Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s announcement that AIADMK will lead the National Democratic Alliance in Tamil Nadu, with general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami as the NDA’s chief ministerial face. Shah called it a “natural alliance,” reviving ties broken in 2023 after Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai’s controversial remarks targeting Dravidian icons sparked a bitter split. The fallout cost both parties dearly in the 2024 general elections.

Despite AIADMK and BJP’s past electoral heft—winning 66 and four seats respectively in 2021—the renewed alliance faces a steep climb. With TVK gaining momentum, Vijay aims to shatter the DMK-AIADMK duopoly, setting the stage for a dramatic 2026 showdown in Tamil Nadu’s political arena.