A formidable entrant?

What is happening in Tamil Nadu is neither politics nor development; it is politics of the lowest order. People are waiting for a new dawn, and who is going to be the instrument for the new dawn is a million-dollar question. On a Saturday, actor Vijay organised a programme in Chennai under the Makkal Mandram — an outfit associated with his fans' association. He distributed prizes to students who performed well in the school final examinations. Similar functions are taking place under different banners. Why has Vijay's function become a subject of debate in the media? He has gathered students from 234 Assembly constituencies for these programmes. Students have been selected from each constituency, and prior to this, the same group organised mass feeding by providing lunch in different places. This has been done on a massive scale.

Actor Surya has also awarded scholarships through his organisation ‘Agaram’, but it is not being viewed from a political perspective. Political parties are closely monitoring actor Vijay's activities, fearing that his entry will bring about a change in the political ecosystem of Tamil Nadu. Public intellectuals perceive that he is following the strategy of Rajnikanth by maintaining a high profile to attract the attention of political parties and increase the mass support of his fan clubs.

He has been indicating to his fans that he has political ambitions, but he has not specified the timing. This was the style of Rajnikanth until his final declaration. Despite their massive fan base in the film industry, why are these actors hesitant to enter politics? The simple answer is that they earn a considerable amount from their films, beyond human imagination. They are popular among the masses, and the risk involved in politics is very minimal. Although they do not hold any real power, they are always in the limelight. The political leaders cannot draw the attention of the people as these actors, barring the big parties. Even the leaders of the major political parties do not have such following.

Secondly, these actors are fully aware that entering into politics is like catching the tail of a tiger. Once they enter, they cannot come out until the end of their lives. Politics has been shaped in such a way. In this context, many actors have made their best attempts to capture power but ended up in failure, except for MG Ramachandran. When he was an actor, he was associated with a party, and as a result, both the party and MG Ramachandran grew together and gained substantial popularity. It was only at the fag end of his film career that he organised his own party, and successfully maintained his popularity as both a film actor and a Chief Minister. Even to this day, he remains popular among the masses. Following in the footsteps of MGR, Vijaykant, once a popular actor, organised a political party as an alternative to the DMK and the AIADMK, and gained popularity. However, his party quickly sank into oblivion. Another actor, Saratkumar, also organised his own group but failed miserably. Rajinikanth had a huge following but he used it for promoting his films by making political rhetoric within them.

Only in the last phase of his career did Rajinikanth decide to launch his party due to external pressure, but he later withdrew from the move, citing health reasons. Another popular actor, Kamal Hasan, also organised his party called Makkal Neethi Maiyam, and tested his popularity through elections. Now, he has realised that it is not possible to emerge victorious on his own and, as a result, has aligned closely with the Indian National Congress and the DMK. Almost all Tamil actors who wanted to enter politics did so towards the end of their careers, and none of them has garnered the same level of mass support as MGR in Tamil Nadu. Vijay has also not received such widespread mass support.

However, he has a significant mass appeal, especially among the youth voters, which can contribute to a party's path to power. As he enters the political arena, he has the opportunity to steer the politics of Tamil Nadu in a new direction, and he is gradually testing the field. Currently, people are seeking a powerful alternative to the two Dravidian parties. Annamalai, the state president of the BJP, has made the party visible and has surpassed smaller parties. Similar to how MGR portrayed M Karunanidhi as corrupt, Annamalai has created a new consciousness among the people that the Dravidian parties are choking in neck-deep corruption, and unless we find an alternative, there will be no remedy for the problems in Tamil Nadu politics. This strategy resembles the approach adopted by MGR after he left the DMK and formed his own organisation. Till his death, he maintained the narrative that the DMK was synonymous with corruption. Now, the BJP state president Annamalai has adopted the same narrative, emphasising that the DMK is plagued by corruption. The middle class amplifies this narrative through social media, while the poor have lost faith in political parties.

Tamil Nadu politics has shifted away from ideologies and now heavily relies on money power. Running a party, engaging in political activities, and facing elections require significant investments in purchasing votes. The current state of politics is shaped in a way that without money, one cannot do politics in Tamil Nadu. In this context, Vijay wants to gauge the public sentiment by organising an event in the name of giving scholarships to the toppers in the school final examination across Tamil Nadu. The question arises: why did he draw students from all 234 assembly constituencies?

Secondly, when he spoke in the meeting, he said, “You are the first-time voters, do not sell your votes. When political parties are giving money for votes, you can imagine how much they have amassed wealth through power”. He further appealed to them to request their parents not to sell their votes. He concluded by stating that this was the key message he wanted to convey through the meeting. He lamented that he had a role to play at this juncture and hence he organised this event. The media and his fans perceive this as a hint towards his inclination to enter politics. It is clear that by leveraging his influence, he can help a party come to power. Alternatively, he can establish his own political outfit and participate in elections. Either way, he has the potential to reshape the course of politics in Tamil Nadu.

It is undeniable that Tamil Nadu politics is currently witnessing unprecedented levels of corruption and a decline in ethical standards. This has given rise to the perception, especially through social media, that organised looting is taking place, resulting in a disorderly and undignified political landscape. In this context, Vijay's message assumes great significance.

The writer is a former Professor and Rajiv Gandhi Chair for Panchayati Raj Studies, Gandhigram Rural Institute. Views expressed are personal