Vijay, leading the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, is not the first political figure to campaign in two constituencies.
In 1991, J Jayalalithaa contested from both Bargur and Kangeyam, securing victories in both. After the AIADMK’s significant win, she opted to keep Bargur and vacated Kangeyam, ultimately becoming Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister for the first time.
K Krishnasamy, the founder of the Puthiya Tamilagam party, contested from two reserved constituencies—Ottapidaram and Valparai—during the 2016 elections, but did not win either.
Both constituencies chosen by Vijay have substantial working-class populations alongside a significant number of Christians.
Interestingly, Vijay’s choice to run from two seats during his debut has attracted sarcastic remarks from DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin.
“He has one foot in each camp, but our ‘winning candidate’ Inigo Irudayaraj is the star of the Tiruchirappalli East constituency. Despite having strong support among Christians in both constituencies, Inigo has opted to run again from Tiruchirappalli East,” Udhayanidhi stated while campaigning for his party’s candidate recently.
TVK general secretary Aadhav Arjuna, defending his leader, praised Vijay as a bold and independent figure challenging the established political forces in the state.
Claiming a “Vijay wave” sweeping across Tamil Nadu, Arjuna remarked that the TVK founder possesses the “mental strength” to withstand any “threats”.
In a shift from acting to full-time politics, Vijay has been aggressively campaigning against the ruling DMK. He has asserted that the contest is solely between the TVK and the “evil DMK”, dismissing other political parties as irrelevant.
At a rally in Salem, Vijay urged voters to accept money if offered by opponents but to “blow the whistle (TVK election symbol) when they arrive at the polling station on April 23”.
“Give your Vijay the chance to govern, and witness the transformation that will follow in the state,” he implored.
Historically, Perambur has elected representatives from DMK, AIADMK, Congress, and CPI(M), and currently, DMK’s RD Sekar, who won the seat in 2021, has been renominated.
The PMK, part of the NDA, has fielded its state treasurer, M Thilakabama, in this crucial three-way contest, while former film director Seeman’s candidate, S Vetri Thamizhan, also joins the race.
Although local issues are significant in both constituencies, it is Vijay’s involvement that has intensified interest in the election battle.
Perambur boasts the highest electorate among Chennai’s 16 constituencies, with a total of 2,22,792 voters as of April 2026. A total of 47 candidates are contesting.
Tiruchirappalli East has 2,17,397 voters as of April 2026, with key candidates including AIADMK’s K Rajasekaran. There are 20 candidates in total, including independents.
