Two by-election wins, a lunch with Rahul Gandhi and a day on stage with PM Modi in Chennai. How three days in October have widened the spotlight on CM Vijay.
Vijay’s momentum received a boost when TVK won the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly by-elections. The results, declared on October 9, were the party’s first electoral test since forming the government.
TVK candidates K. Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama defeated their DMK rivals by 20,040 and 9,471 votes respectively, with the AIADMK third in both seats. TVK’s strength in the Assembly rose to 109 MLAs (full results).
The result carries extra meaning. Both winners had been elected on the AIADMK ticket in May 2026. They resigned on May 25, joined TVK, and have now won their seats again on TVK’s whistle symbol — Maragatham Kumaravel with a far bigger margin than the 7,194 votes he won by in May.
The next task is to turn this encouragement into stronger organisation, effective administration and a deeper bond with voters — and to show that these wins are the start of sustained public confidence.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on October 11 created another major moment. It was his first visit to Tamil Nadu since the TVK government took office, and the first government programme the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister attended together. (They had met earlier, in New Delhi in May and at the NITI Aayog Governing Council in June.)
Vijay received the Prime Minister at the airport. Crowds lined the route during a short roadshow towards Porur. The two leaders then jointly flagged off Metro Phase-2 — at the Prime Minister’s invitation — rode the new train together, and shared the stage at IIT Madras.
Vijay was not watching a national event from the sidelines. He was hosting the Prime Minister as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister. The leader who once drew crowds through cinema and campaigns now engages with the country’s highest office as the elected head of a state government.
The Rahul Gandhi lunch, the Metro opening and Vijay’s demands before the Prime Minister were reported widely by national outlets, including ThePrint, ANI, WION and The Federal. Coverage went beyond routine reporting, to Vijay’s political relationships and his place in national politics.
That does not mean Vijay has become the only story in Indian politics. It means he is increasingly a national political story in his own right — a bigger platform for his vision, and greater scrutiny of his decisions.
The timing invites the question. There is no confirmed agreement, new national alliance or declared plan for national office, and none should be presented as fact.
But the sequence is interesting. A by-election win gives the ruling party fresh energy. A meeting with Rahul Gandhi places Vijay in the national opposition conversation. A day with PM Modi brings him face to face with the Union government. A leader who keeps constructive ties with different national parties while standing firm for Tamil Nadu could strengthen his hand. Vijay does not need to announce a dramatic ambition — effective governance and results for Tamil Nadu can expand his standing on their own.
As a film star, Vijay’s appeal came from entertainment. As a political leader, it came from promises of change. As Chief Minister, it rests on the decisions he makes and the results his government delivers.
At IIT Madras he raised infrastructure, funding, rail and Metro demands, and the Prime Minister said he would work with CM Vijay for the state’s development. Better transport, investment, jobs, education and public services matter far more than any single photo opportunity.
The strongest measure of Vijay’s power will not be how many cameras follow him, but how much progress his leadership delivers for Tamil Nadu.
By-election wins, a meeting with Rahul Gandhi, a day with Prime Minister Modi and wider media attention — all within three days. These create an opportunity, not a guarantee. The government must keep delivering, and TVK must keep strengthening its organisation.
If Vijay succeeds, he could become an influential voice on federal relations, Tamil Nadu’s development and the direction of Indian politics. The task is clear: turn attention into action, access into outcomes, and electoral victories into lasting trust.
The story of Vijay’s political rise is still being written. The next chapter could be his most consequential yet.
Analysis By-Elections PM Modi National Politics Day 154