Chennai: Actor-turned-politician Vijay appears to be at the centre of a political moment in Tamil Nadu as early counting trends in the 2026 Assembly election placed his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, firmly in the lead.
As of around 11 am, early trends showed TVK leading in more than 100 seats in the 234-member Assembly, putting the party within striking distance of the majority mark of 118. The numbers, if sustained, would mark an extraordinary debut for Vijay in electoral politics and a major shake-up in the state’s long-standing political landscape.
From classrooms to cinema
With public attention fixed on the actor’s political rise, many are also looking back at his educational background.
Born as Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, Vijay completed his early schooling at Fathima Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chennai. He later studied at Balalok Matric Higher Secondary School.
After school, he enrolled at Loyola College to pursue a bachelor’s degree in visual communication. However, he did not complete the course and left college early to focus on acting, a decision that would eventually shape one of the most successful careers in Tamil cinema.
A political debut that has caught attention
Vijay entered politics after decades of stardom in the Tamil film industry. His party’s early performance on counting day has surprised political observers, especially because it has pushed both the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance into a trailing position in early rounds.
For a state where politics has long revolved around established Dravidian parties, the early trends have made Vijay the biggest talking point of the day.
