Is Vijay the X-factor in the Tamil Nadu assembly election? Experts weigh in

Speaking at the India Today Tamil Nadu Roundtable, Felix Gerald, Spokesperson, TVK, Kovai Sathyan, Spokesperson, AIADMK, Salem Dharanidharan, Spokesperson, DMK, Vinoj P Selvam, Spokesperson, BJP, share their perspective on this and more. Felix Gerald, representing TVK, defended the actor-politician against criticism from DMK spokesperson Salem Dharanidharan, AIADMK’s Kovai Sathyan, and BJP’s Vinod Selvam. Gerald characterised Vijay as a rare political phenomenon comparable to MGR and Annadurai, citing an organisational structure of 70,000 booth-level workers. Opponents questioned Vijay’s leadership, referencing his silence on film censorship and his absence during a stampede at a party event. The BJP and DMK labelled him a 'work-from-home politician,' while the AIADMK dismissed his proposal for shared power. Gerald rejected these claims, asserting that TVK’s ideology of secular social justice will challenge the established Dravidian majors.