# Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam wins 34.9% vote share on debut 2026-08-10T08:00:27+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay, known as 'Thalapathy', led his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to a stunning debut in the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections, securing 34.9% of the vote share. The party, launched in February 2024, positioned itself as a 'clean alternative' to the dominant Dravidian parties, the DMK and AIADMK. Vijay's campaign, built on his massive fan base cultivated over three decades in over 70 films, directly targeted Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. However, the campaign was marred by a tragic stampede at a rally in Karur in September 2025 that killed 41 people. Controversy also emerged from a leaked divorce petition filed by his wife, Sangeetha. Despite these setbacks, Vijay achieved a vote share that rivals the historic debut of M.G. Ramachandran, though he fell short of a majority. The focus now shifts to whether Vijay can fulfill his promises of systemic change and move from film icon to effective administrator. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: DMK, M.K. Stalin, star politician, Tamil Nadu elections, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, Vijay Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/vijays-tamilaga-vettri-kazhagam-wins-34-9-vote-share-on-debut/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/vijays-tamilaga-vettri-kazhagam-wins-34-9-vote-share-on-debut/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.