As Puducherry heads to the polls on April 9, 2026, Vijay’s TVK is contesting 28 of 30 seats, leaving two to ally Neyam Makkal Kazhagam. Rejecting any tie-up with DMK-Congress or AINRC-BJP, he accused both camps of infighting and failing voters, while pitching TVK as a clean alternative focused on statehood, welfare schemes and institutional development.
Vijay, the famous Tamil actor, renowned as Thalapathy (Commander), is all set for his electoral debut in the upcoming Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Legislative Assembly polls. He campaigned in Puducherry in support of his party Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) on Saturday, April 4, 2026. Huge crowds gathered to cheer for him and his supporters.
Vijay heavily criticised both the DMK-Congress and AINRC-BJP alliances, stating that they did not grant statehood to the Union Territory (UT) despite being in power for a long time. Urging the people to vote for his party, he said that TVK will work to establish statehood once it comes to power.
Beyond statehood, Vijay outlined several key welfare promises for the people of Puducherry. His major announcements included conducting local body elections within six months of forming the government and providing ₹25 lakh in medical insurance for every family. He also mentioned that 200 units of electricity would be free for those below the poverty line, and that his party would work for establishing a new Puducherry University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
Vijay’s TVK will contest 28 seats in the elections, while 2 seats have been allocated to its coalition partner Neyam Makkal Kazhagam (NMK), led by G Nehru. Hitting out at DMK-Congress alliance and the AIADMK-BJP alliance, he said that both the major alliances are engaged in internal fighting in both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. They have not worked for the welfare of the people, he added.
Vijay also said that while the AIADMK and BJP joined hands out of compulsion, the DMK and Congress are themselves divided on several fronts. Ruling out any scope of coalition with any of the major alliances, he said: “Some people tried to spread the falsehood that the TVK would join some of these parties for the elections, but we have shown the courage to contest the elections alone”.
It was initially speculated whether the actor would ally with Congress for the Tamil Nadu polls, but he announced candidates on all 234 constituencies for the Tamil Nadu elections, without allying with any other party.
Puducherry will hold Assembly Elections in a single phase on April 9, 2026. According to the official data from the Election Commission of India (EC), about 9.5 lakh voters will vote for 294 candidates contesting the polls. Puducherry has 30 assembly seats, while 3 additional seats are reserved for members nominated by the Government of India.
(Rh)
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