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Actor-politician Vijay on Thursday, January 22, described the allotment of the whistle as the election symbol of the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) as the party’s first victory.
The Election Commission of India (ECI), on Thursday, January 22, announced that the whistle symbol has been allotted to the party for use across Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry, ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in both regions.
Reacting to the announcement, party chief Vijay said, “The whistle is a symbol close to the masses, who have already anticipated and prophesied the victories that the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam will achieve.”
He added that the whistle represents protection, virtue, and happiness, and described the allotment as the beginning of TVK’s first victorious chapter. Vijay also thanked the ECI for granting the symbol.
“The whistle is the sound that arises as an expression of human joy and exuberance. It is the resounding cheer raised in ecstasy by those who toil tirelessly toward a goal, upon achieving that very goal. To put it even more specifically, the whistle is what is held in the hands of the people's guardians. In that sense, the whistle can also be referred to as the symbol of protection.
It is noteworthy that the sound of the whistle rising on the lips and in the hearts of everyone—from children to adults, men to women—is the emblem of positive events,” he said.
“The first victorious chapter in the electoral political history of the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam, which shines as the primary force in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Tamil Nadu, has now begun,” he added.
The TVK was registered with the Election Commission in February 2024 and is currently an unrecognised party. The upcoming Assembly elections will be its first electoral contest.
To be recognised as a state party, a political party must secure at least six percent of the total valid votes polled in the state and win at least two Assembly seats. In the case of Lok Sabha elections, it must secure six percent of the votes and win at least one seat, among other criteria.
Vijay has stated that TVK will contest all 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu and all 30 seats in Puducherry.