BY SANJEEB KUMAR SAHOO
Before I go any further as editor and founder of National Political Mirror (NPM), I would like to say that I am initiating this idea for the first time in India and the political journalism world—with this cover story and the headline “Emerging Politicians in 2025” on the cover page of today’s National Political Mirror edition, which announces two future great politicians.
As part of National Political Mirror’s efforts to promote and create future leaders of national interest, two future great politicians have been chosen as 2025’s Emerging Politicians: Prashant Kishor (PK) from North India, who founded the political party Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), and Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar from South India, who founded the political party Tamila Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). And I will explain in detail why I have chosen two politicians, Prashant Kishor and Vijay, for 2025’s Emerging Politicians in numerous paragraphs.
The story now begins
Permit me to discuss both Vijay and Prashant Kishor, but first, I would like to mention that over the past few months, Vijay has been giving top DMK leaders sleepless nights with his ongoing statewide Yatra for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, just as Prashant Kishor had been giving NDA leaders sleepless nights for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.
And, believe me, I have no evidence, but I am convinced that Prashant Kishor and Vijay have tremendous support from prominent Congress leaders and India’s opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi. Additionally, I would attempt to explain in a few paragraphs according to the sentence requirements. So first, I would like to tell you about Prashant Kishor, who has been causing NDA leaders restless nights ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.
PK, who founded JSP
Prashant Kishor was born in 1977 in Konar village, Rohtas district, Bihar, and became commonly known as PK after orchestrating a stunning victory for the BJP and Narendra Modi in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
He thereafter relocated to Buxar to complete his secondary school. Before becoming a strategist, he worked for eight years in a United Nations-supported public health programme.
His political strategist career began in 2012, when he took part in Narendra Modi’s successful campaign for the Gujarat assembly elections. So, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Kishor co-founded Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG), which helped the BJP win a strong mandate. Subsequently, CAG changed its name to Indian Political Action Committee-IPAC.
However, the directors of I-PAC are listed on its website as engineers Rishi Raj Singh and Pratik Jain, as well as lawyer Vinesh Chandel. However, there is no mention of Prashant Kishor, despite reports claiming that he is a co-funder of I-PAC. According to reports, Prashnat Kishore quit the organisation in 2020 due to Enforcement Directorate (ED) complaints. However, the Enforcement Directorate’s action against Prashnat Kishore is unknown. According to reports, Kishor left the I-PAC following the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. However, many individuals still believe that I-PAC represents Prashant Kishore.
As a strategist, Prashant Kishor worked for Narendra Modi with major regional leaders, including Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee. He oversaw the DMK’s electoral strategy in Tamil Nadu this year and the TMC’s in West Bengal. In the 2015 Bihar assembly elections, he also worked as a poll strategist for the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) coalitions. Additionally, Prashant Kishor helped YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRCP in the Andhra Pradesh elections of 2019 and the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi in 2020.
For the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly election, Prashant Kishor also ran for the Uttar Pradesh Congress and Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party in 2016. However, Prashant Kishor’s first significant political disaster was the defeat of both parties.
Additionally, strategist Prashant Kishor worked for Amarinder Singh, most notably as the campaign manager for the 2017 Punjab Legislative Assembly elections. Later, in March 2021, Kishor was named the principal advisor to then Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. His work was centred on the betterment of the people of Punjab.
Political strategist becomes full-time politician
Following the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, Kishor is said to have left the I-PAC to become a full-time politician through his 5,000 km Padyatra, or march across 5,500 villages in Bihar, which he began on October 2, 2022, at Mahatma Gandhi’s Bhitiharwa Ashram in West Champaran.
If you recall, following the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, around a year later, on May 2, 2022, Prashant Kishor hinted at the development of a political outfit through a tweet, writing, “It’s time to go to the Real Masters, The People,” and advocating for “Jan Suraaj—People’s Good Governance.”
And on May 5, 2022, he formally launched the Jan Suraaj Abhiyan at a news conference in Patna, stating his plan to go on a 3,500+ kilometre padyatra across Bihar. Prashant Kishor met people from a variety of backgrounds while travelling widely throughout the state between May and October 2022 in order to understand their issues and develop a long-term governance plan.
On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary in October 2024, poll consultant-turned-politician Prashant Kishor transformed his Jan Suraaj (public good governance) campaign into a political party during a large gathering of his followers in Bihar’s capital, Patna.
As planned, the new party was called the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP). Manoj Bharti, a former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer from Madhubani district who studied at IIT Kanpur and IIT Delhi and belongs to the Dalit community, was appointed as the first Bihar State President.
On May 19, 2025, the 150-member state core committee overwhelmingly chose Uday Singh, a former two-term Lok Sabha MP from Purnia, as the party’s first national president.
The public gathering also acted as a demonstration of strength and capable individuals who would handle the reigns of the party. Many well-known political personalities attended the event, including former Union Minister Devendra Prasad Yadav, former MP Monazir Hasan, and diplomat-turned-politician Pavan Varma.
Why NPM chose him as 2025’s Politician of the Year
Prashant Kishor officially founded the Jan Suraaj Party in 2024, and his party ran for 238 seats in the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections of 2025. It failed to win a single seat, registering a vote share percentage of 3.44%, but won the hearts of many people in Bihar and across India through his excellent political slogans through 2025 Bihar Assembly election poll campaigns.
Prashant Kishor ran political campaigns like ‘Jai Bihar’ and asked voters, ‘You all need to chant “Jai Bihar” so loud that nobody dares to call you and your children a “Bihari”, which feels like an abuse.’
Prashant Kishor also stated that we should vote for our children’s education and employment opportunities. However, his party received fewer votes than None of the Above in 68 constituencies.
During the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, he shared his plans for Bihar, stating that we will improve the lives of our children through education, the lives of our adults by providing them with capital to start a business, and the lives of our elderly by providing them with a pension of Rs 2,000 per month to live with dignity.
Prashant Kishor also stated that constructing a robust education system would cost roughly Rs 5 lakh crore, banks would be required to issue additional loans at 4% interest for people looking to start a work or business, and the state would have to spend Rs 6000 crore on pensions for the elderly.
On the other hand, the documentary #SANGHARSHKE1280DIN, which was released during the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls about Prashant Kishor, showed how Prashant Kishor, the founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, has given new hope, dreams, and confidence among all sections of society, including many of them who are still living in other states after retiring, and most importantly, many of them spent all their money while buying or building new houses in other states when they could have built their dream home in Bihar with their half of the investment and become a part of the state’s growth story in many ways.
Spill the beans
As I prepare to wrap up my story about Prashant Kishore, I would like to discuss some crucial political abilities that any outstanding future political leader should possess.
So it’s time to “spill the beans” about Prashant Kishore. I strongly believe that Prashant Kishore’s excellent political strategy for his party’s 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, which pushed the JDU and BJP-led Nitish Kumar government to announce numerous benefit or freebie packages for Bihar residents.
However, I will only describe four schemes here. During the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls, the NDA-led Nitish Kumar government provided Rs 10,000 to each woman’s bank account. A total of 1.51 crore women received this amount. Additionally, eligible women entrepreneurs were promised financial support of up to Rs 2 lakh.
Believe me, the BJP-JDU alliance’s tactics were successful during the polls, as the NDA won a landslide victory in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. In the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, the JD(U)-BJP combination won a record 202 seats in the 243-member parliament. The opposition was reduced to 35 seats, with the BJP winning 89, JD(U) 85, LJP(RV) 19, HAM 5, and RLM 4.
Second, starting in July 2025, the Bihar government raised the monthly pension for widows, senior citizens, and individuals with disabilities by Rs 700, bringing the total to Rs 1,100. More than 1.96 crore people benefit from this increase.
Third, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced a monthly payment of Rs 1,000 for each unemployed youth, which was interpreted as a significant outreach to young and first-time voters ahead of the Assembly elections.
Fourth, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar declared that starting on August 1, 2025, all household customers in the state would receive 125 units of free electricity each month. This effort, which aimed to reduce financial constraints on households, benefited 1.67 crore families.
Fifth, in July 2025, the Bihar government, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, announced that ASHA workers — Accredited Social Health Activists — would get Rs. 3,000 per month, up from Rs. 1,000. Mamta workers who assist with childbirth at government health facilities are now paid Rs. 600 per delivery, up from Rs. 300. According to data from the National Health Systems Resource Centre, Bihar employs around 1,00,000 ASHA workers and over 7,500 Mamta workers as of July 2025.
And in the sixth announcement for the education sector, midday meal cooks saw their monthly honorarium rise from Rs. 1,650 to Rs. 3,300. Night watchmen in secondary and higher secondary schools now get Rs. 10,000 (up from Rs. 5,000), while physical education and health instructors’ monthly compensation has been increased from Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 16,000. The annual raise for these positions has also been enhanced from Rs. 200 to Rs. 400.
The state government’s seventh major announcement for local elected members is a 50 to 100 percent increase in the monthly allowances of mukhiyas, sarpanches, ward members, panchayat samiti members, and Zila Parishad leaders. For example, the remuneration for a mukhiya or sarpanch has been raised from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 7,500, and for a ward member from Rs. 800 to Rs. 1,200. The Zila Parishad President will now receive Rs. 30,000 per month (up from Rs. 20,000), while the Vice President will receive Rs. 20,000 (formerly Rs. 10,000).
Furthermore, the sanctioning ceiling for development works under the mukhiya’s control has been raised from Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh, providing them greater administrative power.
Ending on PK
I am well aware that Prashant Kishor’s political party, the Jan Suraaj Party, lost elections in the recently concluded Bihar Assembly but did not lose the people’s trust. In fact, people’s trust in him has grown, and believe me, he is the only one capable of challenging any political tactic or narrative put forth by top NDA leaders. I therefore regard him as one of the leading voices from opposition political parties, even if he is not a member of Parliament.
And trust me, achieving significant success in politics takes time. Even I am struggling, but I have never left political journalism and honesty. In fact, day by day, I am finding new methods to be more honest and following more honesty no matter what.
For the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, Prashant Kishor’s political strategy was thousands of steps ahead of that of the other major political parties.
Believe me, Prashant Kishor has been doing incredibly well while exposing important concerns through a number of news conferences that deal with fraud, criminality, and corruption associated with the ministers of the Bihar government led by the BJP and JDU. Despite being Bihar’s official opposition leader, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav has failed to fulfil his duties for the previous five years.
After Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s successful campaign for mayor, Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraaj Party and leader of the Bihar Opposition, led the best political campaign for the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, held on November 6 and 11.
Because of Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor’s Bihar Badlaw Yatra, the Bihar government, headed by BJP and JDU alliance leader Nitish Kumar, initiated numerous welfare programs for the state’s citizens prior to the assembly elections.
While I appreciate the BJP and JDU alliance government for these efforts (welfare schemes), it’s worth noting that these initiatives could have been implemented much earlier, rather than just two months before the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls. It feels reminiscent of someone planting pumpkins at a wedding reception.
Let’s talk about Vijay
Before I talk about Vijay and his political party-Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), I would like to discuss how cinema artists have grabbed Tamil Nadu politics, and then I will talk about Vijay and his political career. Tamil Nadu politics and Tamil cinema have been intricately interwoven for at least the past five decades.
While CN Annadurai was a journalist before entering politics, the founder of DMK used cinema to drum up support for Dravidian ideologies through his lieutenant Karunanidhi’s writing skills, as Karunanidhi worked in the Tamil film industry as a screenwriter before entering politics, and then Conjeevaram Natarajan (CN) Annadurai known as Anna became chief minister after Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won a landslide victory in the 1967 elections, setting a precedent and formed a nine member cabinet comprising himself, Madhavan, Govindaswamy, Nedunchezhiyan, Karunanidhi, Mathiyazhagan, Sadeeq Pasha,Muthuswamy and Ms. Satyavanimuttu. It was the DMK which changed the name of the state from Madras to Tamil Nadu.
The DMK was the first ever regional party to form an administration in any state in India. after Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won a landslide victory in the 1967 elections, setting a precedent.
The DMK’s triumph in 1967 was mostly propelled by Annadurai’s leadership, anti-Hindi agitation, and a united front against Congress, but M. Karunanidhi was a vital lieutenant for him and crucial organiser for the party.
Since Karunanidhi was a key DMK leader, organiser, and orator, working alongside Annadurai to strengthen the party’s grassroots.Thus, after his mentor’s death in 1969, M. Karunanidhi, a well-known dialogue writer in the 1950s and 1960s, followed suit and assumed the hot seat when he grasped the chance to become Chief Minister.
Let’s talk about another cinema star, MG Ramachandran, or MGR, who began his political career with Congress and eventually became the DMK’s star campaigner. Annadurai led the DMK to victory in 1967. MGR’s tinseltown image also helped him achieve it.
However, following Annadurai’s death, MGR split ways with M Karunanidhi, and MGR was party treasurer at the time, but MG Ramachandran was formally expelled from the DMK on October 10, 1972, for allegedly breaking party discipline.MGR founded the Anna-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (ADMK) one week later, on Tuesday, October 17, 1972.
In forming his new party MGR retained the name of DMK with an added prefix – Anna derived from the DMK founder-leader C.N. Annadurai popularly referred to as “Anna”. MGR later amended the Anna-DMK to AIADMK or All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham in 1976.\
With the assistance of MGR’s star value, the AIADMK overthrew the DMK in 1972 and 1997.MGR went on to become Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister. His supporters, who had previously referred to him as “Puratchi Nadigar” or ‘Revolutionary Actor’, now refer to him as “Puratchy Thalaiver” (Revolutionary Leader). MGR was re-elected as Chief Minister in 1980 and 1985 after his party won the elections. During his stint as Chief Minister, the actor-politician implemented numerous populist and welfare policies. One of the most notable was the “Sathunavu” (nutritious food) programme, which provided healthful meals to students at no cost.
However, MGR passed away while serving as Chief Minister in 1987. His wife, Vaikom Narayani Janaki, commonly known as Janaki Ramachandran, was a film actress and did not participate in politics throughout Ramachandran’s lifetime, making just a few public appearances during the early days of the AIADMK.
However, MGR passed away while serving as Chief Minister in 1987. His wife, Vaikom Narayani Janaki, commonly known as Janaki Ramachandran, was a film actress and did not participate in politics throughout Ramachandran’s lifetime, making just a few public appearances during the early days of the AIADMK.
So, after MGR died on December 24, 1987, his wife Janaki Ramachandran took over as Chief Minister after party members asked her to do so.
Because MGR’s party split into two factions, with wife Janaki heading one and paramour Jayalalithaa Jayaram leading the other, her government lasted just 24 days—the shortest in Tamil Nadu history. After Janaki left politics, both groups came together under the leadership of MGR’s former leading lady.-Jayaram Jayalalithaa.In the elections of 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2016, Jayalalithaa led MGR’s party to victory.
M. G. Ramachandran, Jayaram Jayalalithaa’s regular co-star between 1965 and 1973, appeared in a number of hit films. In 1982, when M. G. Ramachandran was Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa joined AIADMK, the party he created. Her political ascent was swift; in a matter of years, she was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, and became propaganda secretary for the AIADMK.
After M.G.R. died in 1987, Jayalalithaa declared herself his political heir, was dubbed “Puratchi Thalaivi” (the feminine version of Revolutionary Leader), and emerged as the AIADMK’s sole leader after defeating the faction led by M.G.R.’s widow, V. N. Janaki Ramachandran. Following the 1989 election, she was elected Leader of the Opposition against the DMK-led government led by her arch-nemesis, M. Karunanidhi.
In later years, she was referred to as “Amma” (mother/madam). In a lighter vein, MGR was the only Tamil Nadu Chief Minister whose wife and paramour succeeded him as Chief Ministers. Jayalalithaa became the youngest Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu when she took office in 1991.
Jayalalithaa rose to prominence as a leading film actress in the mid-1960s. Though she had begun her acting career reluctantly at her mother’s behest to support the family, Jayalalithaa was a prolific actor. She appeared in 140 films between 1961 and 1980, predominantly in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. Jayalalithaa was dubbed the “Queen of Tamil Cinema” for her acting range and dance abilities.However, Jayalalithaa unexpectedly died in December 2016.
Now I would like to talk about another Tamil star, Rajinikanth, who had been teasing his fans about his political entry since 1996, the first time he took a political stand while actively campaigning against then-Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, citing corruption and poor governance during her 1991–1996 tenure.Rajinikanth publicly criticises then-chief minister J Jayalalithaa during the election, stating that “even god cannot save Tamil Nadu if she comes back to power again.”
He supports the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) coalition, which has swept the elections.In 1998, the DMK-TMC alliance sought his support for the general election, but only won nine of the state’s 39 seats.
So, Rajinikanth announced entry into politics on 31 December 2017 and confirmed his intention to contest in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections in all 234 constituencies. He also claimed that his party would resign if it was unable to fulfil its electoral promises within three years of coming into power.
However, according to reports, Rajinikanth dissolved his organisation Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) on 12 July 2021 and said that he has no plans to enter politics in the future, citing severe health concerns—including a 2016 kidney transplant and COVID-19 risks—he dissolved his party, the Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM), and returned to acting. And I still don’t know the real reasons for Rajinikanth’s political departure.
Finally, before I go into further detail about Vijya and his political party, let me mention another prominent Tamil actor, Kamal Haasan, who founded the regional political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) in 2018 as a non-Dravidian alternative to both DMK and AIADMK.
And he formally announced the party’s formation on 21 February 2018 in Madurai. However, he was defeated by BJP Mahila Morcha President Vanathi Srinivasan in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election from Coimbatore South.
However, in order to be elected to the Rajya Sabha, he later joined the DMK-led Tamil Nadu bloc in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.In June 2025, Kamal Haasan was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) quota as part of his party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM)’s alliance deal with the DMK in the 2024 Lok Sabah poll.
Vijay is bringing sleepless nights to DMK and AIADMK.
Before discussing anything about Vijay, I would like to mention that the National Political Mirror published an article about him and his political aspirations in 2021 shortly after the two-phase elections for 27,000 local body positions in Tamil Nadu were held in nine districts. The results were announced on October 12, 2021 and the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its alliance won handily, leaving their main rival, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
However, given that veteran actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan’s party Makkal Needhi Maiam or filmmaker-politician Seeman’s Naam’s Tamizhar Katchi failed to open their accounts, the performance of actor Vijay’s fan club, Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (TVMI), surprised me and many in the state’s political arena. However, more than 100 seats have been won by TVMI members.
They performed admirably in all nine districts, particularly in Kallakurichi, Kancheepuram, and Villupuram.
However, Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam’s triumph in the 2021 polls was made feasible by the fact that actor Vijay had a large network of fan clubs across Tamil Nadu during the early 2000s. Around 2009, these fan clubs formed an organised “Narpani Iyakkam” (welfare association) to organise charitable and community service activities. On July 26, 2009, the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (Vijay’s People Movement) project was officially started in Pudukkottai.
In the meantime, Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam backed the AIADMK-led Alliance in the 2011 legislative assembly elections. While the organisation maintained a low-profile political stance for many years, it began to gain attention as Vijay made politically charged statements in his films and public appearances. In October 2021, Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam contested the local body elections in Tamil Nadu independently and won 115 out of the 169 seats it contested.
It’s time to talk about another well-known and young actor, Vijay, and his political ambitions. He currently has a sizable fan base among young fans and is eager to establish himself as a deserving candidate for the Tamil Nadu political arena, which is constantly changing in the post-MGR and post-Karunanidhi eras, as MGR and Karunanidhi were working for the Dravidian movement and the ideology of C.N. Annadurai, the fourth chief minister of Madras State from 1967 to 1969, now known as Tamil Nadu.
Vijay announces his entry into politics
On February 2, 2024, actor Vijay announced his debut into politics by declaring the name of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), transitioning from his fan club, Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (TVMI), and will fight the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections.
In a statement released on February 2, 2024, Vijay said, “You are all aware of the current political climate. There is administrative malpractice and corruption on one hand and divisive politics that strive to divide people on the basis of caste and religion on the other hand. Tamil Nadu is yearning for a political change that can lead to a selfless, transparent, caste-free, visionary and corruption-free administration.”
TVMI has so far functioned almost as a de facto party. The fan association has constantly provided social services, such as providing food for schoolchildren and participating in relief efforts during state disasters.
And believe me, Vijay’s new political party currently has Vijay giving top leaders of the DMK and AIADMK sleepless nights with his speeches while engaging with the public in political campaigns.
On September 13, in Tiruchi’s Ariyalur, Vijay, who founded TVK earlier this year after officially entering politics, launched his maiden statewide tour, which is now taking place across the state.Vijay has also begun the TVK’s first-ever election campaign trip from Tiruchi, marking a key moment in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly polls.
A significant, historic city in Tamil Nadu is the Tiruchirappalli district, also referred to as Tiruchi or Trichy. Tiruchi has symbolic meaning. Important Dravidian political decisions have traditionally taken place in the city.
Former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran conducted the AIADMK’s second state conference in Tiruchi, when he launched his groundbreaking nutritious meal scheme and declared Tiruchi as Tamil Nadu’s second capital.Similarly, DMK founder C.N. Annadurai chose Tiruchi to decide whether his party would contest in elections, emphasising its significance in the state’s political narrative.
The TVK has also launched its campaign logo, which includes lines like “Your Vijay, I Will Not Fail” and “Tamil Nadu, Vijay’s Legacy Returns” aiming to highlight his leadership appeal.
With Vijay’s entry into this arena, his supporters believe the Tiruchi launch might be a watershed moment in Tamil Nadu politics, potentially changing the scene ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. It’s unclear whether this momentum will convert into long-term political victories.
I am close to completing the story on Vijay, who is now a politician, after discussing his films and early life. I have already mentioned his political activities. On the other hand, Vijay began his acting career in Tamil films as a young boy.
Let me tell you about Vijay, who started his acting career as a young boy in Tamil movies.In a career spanning three decades, he has appeared in 69 films and is one of India’s highest-paid film actors. He was born in Madras in 1974 to S. A. Chandrasekhar, a film director. Vijay debuted as a child actor in the Tamil film Vetri (1984). After appearing as a child actor in a few films directed by his father, he played his first starring part in Naalaiya Theerpu (1992) at the age of 18, and his final film, Jana Nayagan, will be released soon since he is currently pursuing a career in politics.
Actor Vijay has become a symbol during the past few years as a result of his films’ emphasis on themes of corruption, challenging authority, and serving as a voice of the common man in his films. So he is now switching to full-time politics with his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and retiring from cinema after his final film, Jana Nayagan (The People’s Hero).The political action thriller film Jana Nayagan, meaning The People’s Leader, perfectly captures his larger-than-life aura.
In a meeting with the district secretaries of his fan organization, the Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (TVMI), in Chennai on July 11, 2023, Vijay informed them that he would completely give up acting if he chose to go into politics. So that his entire attention would be on public service. The same month, I mean June 17, 2023, TVMI held a conference for students who had passed Classes 10 and 12, which was presided over by Vijay. At the conference in Chennai, he distributed cash prizes of Rs 5,000 to toppers. He also encouraged students to read the works of Dr BR Ambedkar, Dravidian leader and rationalist Periyar, and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Kamarajar, who had been part of the Congress.
And his last film, Jana Nayagan, has been designed as a farewell project; this film directly fuels his political ambitions, positioning him as a leader fighting for the people. Vijay has previously acted in political films, and over the last decade, he has built a “political” brand through roles in films addressing social issues and governance, such as Kaththi (2014 – farmers’ issues), Mersal (2017 – healthcare), and Sarkar (2018 – voting rights/political corruption).
Vijay’s film “Sarkar” criticised Tamil Nadu politicians for cultivating a culture of freebies to bribe voters and win elections. Another film, “Mersal,” questioned the logic of the GST regime and its implementation in a country where basic health amenities are denied to the common man.
I would want to close the narrative of Vijay by adding that I believe actor Vijay will be the new king of Tamil Nadu politics, which would benefit both the Congress and the BJP.
Conclusion of the narrative
I would like to conclude by saying that I will now do this every year in December for the National Political Mirror’s issue in the interest of the country to produce outstanding politicians who will solely help the needy people of India, as stated in the headline “Emerging Politicians in 2025”.
Additionally, I have frequently stated that I don’t follow any Indian publications because they have stopped being creative, and the interesting part is that publications and news channels are run by big corporate media houses, so don’t expect creativity or quality content from them because they are only doing it to make money from their other businesses.
And I don’t fear expressing the truth because I have nothing to lose. And believe me when I say that I have never allowed anyone to interfere with the editorial of the National Political Mirror, the only weekly political magazine in the world with two editions, and I will never allow anyone to interfere with the editorial of the National Political Mirror, no matter who they are.
Let’s talk about Vijay
Before I talk about Vijay and his political party-Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), I would like to discuss how cinema artists have grabbed Tamil Nadu politics, and then I will talk about Vijay and his political career. Tamil Nadu politics and Tamil cinema have been intricately interwoven for at least the past five decades.
While CN Annadurai was a journalist before entering politics, the founder of DMK used cinema to drum up support for Dravidian ideologies through his lieutenant Karunanidhi’s writing skills, as Karunanidhi worked in the Tamil film industry as a screenwriter before entering politics, and then Conjeevaram Natarajan (CN) Annadurai known as Anna became chief minister after Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won a landslide victory in the 1967 elections, setting a precedent and formed a nine member cabinet comprising himself, Madhavan, Govindaswamy, Nedunchezhiyan, Karunanidhi, Mathiyazhagan, Sadeeq Pasha,Muthuswamy and Ms. Satyavanimuttu. It was the DMK which changed the name of the state from Madras to Tamil Nadu.
The DMK was the first ever regional party to form an administration in any state in India. after Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won a landslide victory in the 1967 elections, setting a precedent.
The DMK’s triumph in 1967 was mostly propelled by Annadurai’s leadership, anti-Hindi agitation, and a united front against Congress, but M. Karunanidhi was a vital lieutenant for him and crucial organiser for the party.
Since Karunanidhi was a key DMK leader, organiser, and orator, working alongside Annadurai to strengthen the party’s grassroots.Thus, after his mentor’s death in 1969, M. Karunanidhi, a well-known dialogue writer in the 1950s and 1960s, followed suit and assumed the hot seat when he grasped the chance to become Chief Minister.
Let’s talk about another cinema star, MG Ramachandran, or MGR, who began his political career with Congress and eventually became the DMK’s star campaigner. Annadurai led the DMK to victory in 1967. MGR’s tinseltown image also helped him achieve it.
However, following Annadurai’s death, MGR split ways with M Karunanidhi, and MGR was party treasurer at the time, but MG Ramachandran was formally expelled from the DMK on October 10, 1972, for allegedly breaking party discipline.MGR founded the Anna-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (ADMK) one week later, on Tuesday, October 17, 1972.
In forming his new party MGR retained the name of DMK with an added prefix – Anna derived from the DMK founder-leader C.N. Annadurai popularly referred to as “Anna”. MGR later amended the Anna-DMK to AIADMK or All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham in 1976.\
With the assistance of MGR’s star value, the AIADMK overthrew the DMK in 1972 and 1997.MGR went on to become Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister. His supporters, who had previously referred to him as “Puratchi Nadigar” or ‘Revolutionary Actor’, now refer to him as “Puratchy Thalaiver” (Revolutionary Leader). MGR was re-elected as Chief Minister in 1980 and 1985 after his party won the elections. During his stint as Chief Minister, the actor-politician implemented numerous populist and welfare policies. One of the most notable was the “Sathunavu” (nutritious food) programme, which provided healthful meals to students at no cost.
However, MGR passed away while serving as Chief Minister in 1987. His wife, Vaikom Narayani Janaki, commonly known as Janaki Ramachandran, was a film actress and did not participate in politics throughout Ramachandran’s lifetime, making just a few public appearances during the early days of the AIADMK.
However, MGR passed away while serving as Chief Minister in 1987. His wife, Vaikom Narayani Janaki, commonly known as Janaki Ramachandran, was a film actress and did not participate in politics throughout Ramachandran’s lifetime, making just a few public appearances during the early days of the AIADMK.
So, after MGR died on December 24, 1987, his wife Janaki Ramachandran took over as Chief Minister after party members asked her to do so.
Because MGR’s party split into two factions, with wife Janaki heading one and paramour Jayalalithaa Jayaram leading the other, her government lasted just 24 days—the shortest in Tamil Nadu history. After Janaki left politics, both groups came together under the leadership of MGR’s former leading lady.-Jayaram Jayalalithaa.In the elections of 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2016, Jayalalithaa led MGR’s party to victory.
M. G. Ramachandran, Jayaram Jayalalithaa’s regular co-star between 1965 and 1973, appeared in a number of hit films. In 1982, when M. G. Ramachandran was Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa joined AIADMK, the party he created. Her political ascent was swift; in a matter of years, she was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, and became propaganda secretary for the AIADMK.
After M.G.R. died in 1987, Jayalalithaa declared herself his political heir, was dubbed “Puratchi Thalaivi” (the feminine version of Revolutionary Leader), and emerged as the AIADMK’s sole leader after defeating the faction led by M.G.R.’s widow, V. N. Janaki Ramachandran. Following the 1989 election, she was elected Leader of the Opposition against the DMK-led government led by her arch-nemesis, M. Karunanidhi.
In later years, she was referred to as “Amma” (mother/madam). In a lighter vein, MGR was the only Tamil Nadu Chief Minister whose wife and paramour succeeded him as Chief Ministers. Jayalalithaa became the youngest Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu when she took office in 1991.
Jayalalithaa rose to prominence as a leading film actress in the mid-1960s. Though she had begun her acting career reluctantly at her mother’s behest to support the family, Jayalalithaa was a prolific actor. She appeared in 140 films between 1961 and 1980, predominantly in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. Jayalalithaa was dubbed the “Queen of Tamil Cinema” for her acting range and dance abilities.However, Jayalalithaa unexpectedly died in December 2016.
Now I would like to talk about another Tamil star, Rajinikanth, who had been teasing his fans about his political entry since 1996, the first time he took a political stand while actively campaigning against then-Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, citing corruption and poor governance during her 1991–1996 tenure.Rajinikanth publicly criticises then-chief minister J Jayalalithaa during the election, stating that “even god cannot save Tamil Nadu if she comes back to power again.”
He supports the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) coalition, which has swept the elections.In 1998, the DMK-TMC alliance sought his support for the general election, but only won nine of the state’s 39 seats.
So, Rajinikanth announced entry into politics on 31 December 2017 and confirmed his intention to contest in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections in all 234 constituencies. He also claimed that his party would resign if it was unable to fulfil its electoral promises within three years of coming into power.
However, according to reports, Rajinikanth dissolved his organisation Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) on 12 July 2021 and said that he has no plans to enter politics in the future, citing severe health concerns—including a 2016 kidney transplant and COVID-19 risks—he dissolved his party, the Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM), and returned to acting. And I still don’t know the real reasons for Rajinikanth’s political departure.
Finally, before I go into further detail about Vijya and his political party, let me mention another prominent Tamil actor, Kamal Haasan, who founded the regional political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) in 2018 as a non-Dravidian alternative to both DMK and AIADMK.
And he formally announced the party’s formation on 21 February 2018 in Madurai. However, he was defeated by BJP Mahila Morcha President Vanathi Srinivasan in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election from Coimbatore South.
However, in order to be elected to the Rajya Sabha, he later joined the DMK-led Tamil Nadu bloc in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.In June 2025, Kamal Haasan was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) quota as part of his party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM)’s alliance deal with the DMK in the 2024 Lok Sabah poll.
Vijay is bringing sleepless nights to DMK and AIADMK
Before discussing anything about Vijay, I would like to mention that the National Political Mirror published an article about him and his political aspirations in 2021 shortly after the two-phase elections for 27,000 local body positions in Tamil Nadu were held in nine districts. The results were announced on October 12, 2021 and the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its alliance won handily, leaving their main rival, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
However, given that veteran actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan’s party Makkal Needhi Maiam or filmmaker-politician Seeman’s Naam’s Tamizhar Katchi failed to open their accounts, the performance of actor Vijay’s fan club, Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (TVMI), surprised me and many in the state’s political arena. However, more than 100 seats have been won by TVMI members.
They performed admirably in all nine districts, particularly in Kallakurichi, Kancheepuram, and Villupuram.
However, Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam’s triumph in the 2021 polls was made feasible by the fact that actor Vijay had a large network of fan clubs across Tamil Nadu during the early 2000s. Around 2009, these fan clubs formed an organised “Narpani Iyakkam” (welfare association) to organise charitable and community service activities. On July 26, 2009, the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (Vijay’s People Movement) project was officially started in Pudukkottai.
In the meantime, Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam backed the AIADMK-led Alliance in the 2011 legislative assembly elections. While the organisation maintained a low-profile political stance for many years, it began to gain attention as Vijay made politically charged statements in his films and public appearances. In October 2021, Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam contested the local body elections in Tamil Nadu independently and won 115 out of the 169 seats it contested.
It’s time to talk about another well-known and young actor, Vijay, and his political ambitions. He currently has a sizable fan base among young fans and is eager to establish himself as a deserving candidate for the Tamil Nadu political arena, which is constantly changing in the post-MGR and post-Karunanidhi eras, as MGR and Karunanidhi were working for the Dravidian movement and the ideology of C.N. Annadurai, the fourth chief minister of Madras State from 1967 to 1969, now known as Tamil Nadu.
Vijay announces his entry into politics
On February 2, 2024, actor Vijay announced his debut into politics by declaring the name of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), transitioning from his fan club, Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (TVMI), and will fight the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections.
In a statement released on February 2, 2024, Vijay said, “You are all aware of the current political climate. There is administrative malpractice and corruption on one hand and divisive politics that strive to divide people on the basis of caste and religion on the other hand. Tamil Nadu is yearning for a political change that can lead to a selfless, transparent, caste-free, visionary and corruption-free administration.”
TVMI has so far functioned almost as a de facto party. The fan association has constantly provided social services, such as providing food for schoolchildren and participating in relief efforts during state disasters.
And believe me, Vijay’s new political party currently has Vijay giving top leaders of the DMK and AIADMK sleepless nights with his speeches while engaging with the public in political campaigns.
On September 13, in Tiruchi’s Ariyalur, Vijay, who founded TVK earlier this year after officially entering politics, launched his maiden statewide tour, which is now taking place across the state.Vijay has also begun the TVK’s first-ever election campaign trip from Tiruchi, marking a key moment in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly polls.
A significant, historic city in Tamil Nadu is the Tiruchirappalli district, also referred to as Tiruchi or Trichy. Tiruchi has symbolic meaning. Important Dravidian political decisions have traditionally taken place in the city.
Former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran conducted the AIADMK’s second state conference in Tiruchi, when he launched his groundbreaking nutritious meal scheme and declared Tiruchi as Tamil Nadu’s second capital.Similarly, DMK founder C.N. Annadurai chose Tiruchi to decide whether his party would contest in elections, emphasising its significance in the state’s political narrative.
The TVK has also launched its campaign logo, which includes lines like “Your Vijay, I Will Not Fail” and “Tamil Nadu, Vijay’s Legacy Returns” aiming to highlight his leadership appeal.
With Vijay’s entry into this arena, his supporters believe the Tiruchi launch might be a watershed moment in Tamil Nadu politics, potentially changing the scene ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. It’s unclear whether this momentum will convert into long-term political victories.
I am close to completing the story on Vijay, who is now a politician, after discussing his films and early life. I have already mentioned his political activities. On the other hand, Vijay began his acting career in Tamil films as a young boy.
Let me tell you about Vijay, who started his acting career as a young boy in Tamil movies.In a career spanning three decades, he has appeared in 69 films and is one of India’s highest-paid film actors. He was born in Madras in 1974 to S. A. Chandrasekhar, a film director. Vijay debuted as a child actor in the Tamil film Vetri (1984). After appearing as a child actor in a few films directed by his father, he played his first starring part in Naalaiya Theerpu (1992) at the age of 18, and his final film, Jana Nayagan, will be released soon since he is currently pursuing a career in politics.
Actor Vijay has become a symbol during the past few years as a result of his films’ emphasis on themes of corruption, challenging authority, and serving as a voice of the common man in his films. So he is now switching to full-time politics with his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and retiring from cinema after his final film, Jana Nayagan (The People’s Hero).The political action thriller film Jana Nayagan, meaning The People’s Leader, perfectly captures his larger-than-life aura.
In a meeting with the district secretaries of his fan organization, the Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (TVMI), in Chennai on July 11, 2023, Vijay informed them that he would completely give up acting if he chose to go into politics. So that his entire attention would be on public service. The same month, I mean June 17, 2023, TVMI held a conference for students who had passed Classes 10 and 12, which was presided over by Vijay. At the conference in Chennai, he distributed cash prizes of Rs 5,000 to toppers. He also encouraged students to read the works of Dr BR Ambedkar, Dravidian leader and rationalist Periyar, and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Kamarajar, who had been part of the Congress.
And his last film, Jana Nayagan, has been designed as a farewell project; this film directly fuels his political ambitions, positioning him as a leader fighting for the people. Vijay has previously acted in political films, and over the last decade, he has built a “political” brand through roles in films addressing social issues and governance, such as Kaththi (2014 – farmers’ issues), Mersal (2017 – healthcare), and Sarkar (2018 – voting rights/political corruption).
Vijay’s film “Sarkar” criticised Tamil Nadu politicians for cultivating a culture of freebies to bribe voters and win elections. Another film, “Mersal,” questioned the logic of the GST regime and its implementation in a country where basic health amenities are denied to the common man.
I would want to close the narrative of Vijay by adding that I believe actor Vijay will be the new king of Tamil Nadu politics, which would benefit both the Congress and the BJP.
Conclusion of the narrative
I would like to conclude by saying that I will now do this every year in December for the National Political Mirror’s issue in the interest of the country to produce outstanding politicians who will solely help the needy people of India, as stated in the headline “Emerging Politicians in 2025”.
Additionally, I have frequently stated that I don’t follow any Indian publications because they have stopped being creative, and the interesting part is that publications and news channels are run by big corporate media houses, so don’t expect creativity or quality content from them because they are only doing it to make money from their other businesses.
And I don’t fear expressing the truth because I have nothing to lose. And believe me when I say that I have never allowed anyone to interfere with the editorial of the National Political Mirror, the only weekly political magazine in the world with two editions, and I will never allow anyone to interfere with the editorial of the National Political Mirror, no matter who they are.
This story was originally published in the December 28 print edition of the National Political Mirror.
