00:00No crackers, no music, no pregnant women, children or elderly allowed.
00:04These are just of the 21 conditions imposed by the Trichy police for actor-turned-politician
00:08Joseph Vijay's Tamilika Vettri Kadagam as he kicks off his first statewide political
00:12tour ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
00:16The journey begins on September 13 in Trichy, which stops every Saturday across the state.
00:21One Sunday event has been slotted and the tour will end on December 20 in Madurai,
00:25Tamil Nadu's political capital.
00:26The rules are strict. Party workers must assemble by 9.35am.
00:31Only five vehicles can trail Vijay's cars. Two-wheelers, four-wheelers or even people on foot cannot follow.
00:36Crackers and loudspeakers are banned. Parking is TVK's responsibility and the police have gone
00:41a step further asking that pregnant women, children and the elderly stay away altogether.
00:46Campaign speeches too are capped, just 20 to 25 minutes.
00:49Volunteers must assist the police, ensure traffic isn't disrupted, keep fire and medical teams ready
00:55and count every participant. Any violation and the rally can be shut down on the spot.
00:59TVK sources argue the restrictions make logistics nearly impossible.
01:03They say police are blocking routes, denying permissions for roadshows and curbing Vijay's
01:07ability to reach voters.
01:09Responding to Vijay's charge that the ruling DMK is trying to obstruct his campaign,
01:13State Municipal Administration Minister K.N. Nehru dismissed the claim, stating that there was
01:17no need to create hurdles.
01:18But this isn't new. In 1998, even Jail Alita was denied permission to campaign in Madras.
01:24For Vijay, though, this marks his third big political mobilisation after two massive conferences
01:29that drew huge youth crowds. He has openly declared the DMK his political enemy, the BJP his
01:35ideological enemy and criticised the AIA DMK for siding with them.
01:39He frames 2026 as another 1967 or 1977 moment when Anna Duray toppled Congress and later when
01:46MGR ousted the DMK. Vijay believes he can spark a similar wave and capture power.
01:51Even BJP leader Anna Malai admits Vijay's sway among young voters.
01:55Zenshi, definitely Mr. Vijay is there, no doubt about that, because he connects, movie connects
01:59well to an audience and generally Zenshi is slightly more anti-establishment than a normal guy.
02:03And history looms large. After MGR and Jail Alita, Tamil Nadu hasn't seen another actor rise to
02:09chief minister, despite attempts to stars like Shivaji Ganeshan, Vijay Kant, Sadat Kumar,
02:14Kamal Hassan and Rajni Kant, who bowed out of politics altogether.
02:18Vijay's camp insists his case is different. He is entering politics not after, but at the
02:23peak of his acting career, betting that his massive screen popularity will now translate
02:27into votes.
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