In Double-Barrelled Poll Gamble, Vijay Storms DMK Bastions in Chennai, Trichy

By contesting from two constituencies, TVK Chief Vijay is taking the fight directly to the ruling DMK in its strongholds - Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli East in central Tamil Nadu.

Perambur, known for the Integral Coach Factory, lies close to Chief Minister MK Stalin's Kolathur constituency. The seat has a sizeable Christian population that has traditionally backed the DMK. Vijay, a Christian himself and a star with a massive following among youth and women, appears to be banking on this demographic and his fandom to make inroads.

The DMK has fielded sitting MLA RD Shekar, who won by a margin of 54,967 votes in 2021. Historically, both the DMK and AIADMK, along with their Left allies, have dominated here, winning three times each in the last six elections. This time, the AIADMK has allotted the seat to its ally, PMK.

Nearly 300 km away, Tiruchirappalli East presents a similar challenge. A DMK bastion with a relatively smaller electorate, the constituency, also known for its prominent Christian institutions, is considered the home turf of senior DMK leader and Minister KN Nehru. The DMK's candidate, sitting MLA Inigo Irudayaraj, enjoys visibility within the Christian community through his political outfit "Christuva Nallenna Iyakkam". The AIADMK has fielded K Rajasekaran.

The DMK has won Tiruchirappalli East in four of the last six elections, with the AIADMK taking the remaining two. Here too, Vijay is relying on his star appeal and strong connect with younger voters. His maiden campaign in Tiruchirappalli saw massive crowds, with hours-long traffic congestion reported as he travelled from the airport to the venue.

While the mainstream Church, which has traditionally supported the DMK, has not shifted its stance, there are indications that a section of younger voters could gravitate towards Vijay.

The TVK is also attempting to breach the DMK's urban stronghold of Chennai by deploying key leaders across constituencies - Bussy Anand in T Nagar, Aadhava Arjun in Villivakkam, Raj Mohan in Egmore, and Marie Wilson in RK Nagar. Expelled AIADMK leader KA Sengottaiyan is set to contest from his home turf, Gopichettipalayam.

Despite offering a share in power, Vijay has not secured alliances with major parties. Unlike several film stars who failed to translate popularity into political power, Vijay has entered politics at the peak of his acting career. He is hoping to emulate the electoral success of leaders like CN Annadurai and MG Ramachandran in their debut elections.

(With inputs from Mithraa Anand)