Vijay will "secularly break votes": Karti Chidambaram ahead of Tamil Nadu assembly polls

New Delhi [India], February 15 (ANI): As Tamil Nadu prepares for the upcoming assembly elections in the state, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said that actor-turned-politician and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay would "secularly break votes" across parties, given his status as a popular figure in the state, noting that this could, in turn, create a new "third front" in the political landscape.
Speaking exclusively in an interview with ANI, Chidambaram referred to Vijay's strong fan following and said the actor commands significant public support that could translate into electoral support.
However, he questioned whether the electoral backing would ultimately help him secure seats in the assembly polls.
"Vijay is a very popular movie star. He definitely has a very strong fan base. That fan base can convert itself into a support base. The support base can potentially convert itself into a vote base. But whether that vote base will convert into seats is a big question," he said.
Chidambaram also noted that the actor has ruled out any association with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which is the incumbent government in Tamil Nadu and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in alliance with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for the upcoming state assembly polls.
"He can't come to the DMK front. He's clearly identified two political parties as something with which he cannot have any kind of relationship or alliance with. He's identified the DMK and the BJP. So that rules out both the fronts for him. So he has to only be a third front," Chidambaram said.
"In my opinion, he will secularly break votes. It's all over the place," he added.
On the possibility of an alliance between Vijay and the Congress, Chidambaram clarified that the party remains committed to the INDIA bloc and its alliance in Tamil Nadu, led by the DMK.
"We are in an INDIA alliance. We have to look at it from a national perspective. The DMK is a very important part of the INDIA alliance nationally because they contribute a significant number of MPs to our bloc. And we are part of the INDIA alliance in Tamil Nadu, which the DMK leads. The Chief Minister has categorically confirmed the alliance, and there's no doubt about that," he said.
Chidambaram acknowledged that while long-standing alliances may have inherent tensions and expectations, it would not be pragmatic to exit a stable formation.
"The DMK is a well-oiled political machine. To somehow get minor issues and ditch that, in my opinion, will not be pragmatic. There are voices within the Congress party which are giving other options. As an active political party, we will notice what's happening around us," he said.
Actor-turned-politician Vijay, making his electoral debut, has made the 2026 elections a triangular contest in the southern state.
In December 2025, the TVK passed a resolution declaring its party chief, Vijay, as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the state assembly polls.
The 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly will go to elections this year. In the 2021 polls, the DMK secured 133 seats, leading the Secular Progressive Alliance to victory, while the AIADMK won 66 seats. (ANI)