Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president and Chidambaram MP Thol Thirumavalavan took a veiled dig at actor-turned-politician Vijay on February 27, criticising film stars who enter politics late in life after enjoying luxurious careers in cinema.
Speaking at a public gathering in Kambainallur town, Dharmapuri district, Thirumavalavan remarked, “Some people work in the film industry until they are 50 or 60 years old in pursuit of wealth and luxury. They spend their youth living comfortably, amassing riches, and then step into politics expecting to seize power effortlessly. They believe they can launch a party today and form a government tomorrow without the hard work of grassroots political mobilization.”
Thirumavalan visited Kambainallur to meet the families of three women who were killed in a recent factory blast in the town.
Contrasting Vijay’s political journey with his own, he said, “It has taken VCK thirty years to be recognized as a state party. I have sacrificed my youth, sleep, food, and rest. I have not indulged in entertainment such as watching movies or traveling abroad. This is the cost of achieving political recognition,” he said.
The VCK president also said that he is committed to spreading the ideologies of Dr BR Ambedkar, Periyar and Karl Marx. “No one can buy my allegiance.”
Vijay floated his political party, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), on February 2 last year. On February 26, TVK held its first anniversary celebrations in a grand event held at Mahabalipuram where Vijay criticised both the DMK and the BJP. VCK is part of DMK’s alliance.
During his speech at the event, Vijay had claimed that the TVK would win a historic victory similar to those gained by Anna Durai in 1967 during the DMK’s debut into electoral politics and by MGR in 1977 after he founded the AIADMK. The event was attended by retired political strategist Prashant Kishor who announced that he will work for the victory of TVK in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Other senior TVK leaders who participated in the event included former VCK vice president Aadhav Arjuna who now serves as the TVK’s election campaign general secretary. Aadhav was suspended from the VCK earlier in December and appointed to his current position in the TVK on January 31.
