Balancing Act Or Political Strategy? Vijay's Messages To PM Modi, Periyar Divide Internet

Actor and Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) founder Thalapathy Vijay has sent birthday wishes to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 74th birthday and Tamil Nadu's social reformer EV Ramaswamy, popularly known as Periyar, on his 146th birth anniversary, sparking mixed reactions online.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) through his party TVK's official handle, Vijay wrote: "Heartfelt birthday greetings to the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Thiru. @narendramodi Avargal. I pray for your good health, happiness, and long life." Additionally, he paid tribute to Periyar, highlighting his fight against casteism, religious oppression, and superstition, while emphasizing Periyar's role in promoting equality, particularly gender equality and self-respect.

While the dual messages from Vijay were seen by many as a balanced approach, they also ignited a debate. Some critics accused him of aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to cut into Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)'s voter base, while others suggested the opposite, claiming that Vijay might be part of a broader DMK strategy.

Political analyst Suman Raman pointed out that Vijay had wished leaders like Arignar Anna and Periyar on their birthdays but notably refrained from acknowledging Tamil New Year or Vinayaka Chaturthi. Raman commented, "No prizes for guessing whose vote he is likely to split." This has led to speculation that Vijay's political moves could help DMK by splitting BJP's vote bank, particularly after his silence on certain culturally significant festivals.

"First modi ku wish uh aduthu pona pothunh periyar ku wish . Pakka BJP B Team tha," the second user added.

On the other hand, many netizens felt that Vijay's strategy might be deeper. A user on X wrote, "Vijay is penetrating into DMK's zone! DMK may have thought he would eat into BJP's vote bank, but he's setting up shop in their backyard." Another user argued that Vijay's dual greetings were an attempt at balancing political interests: "Vijay is playing a safe game here. He knows in Tamil Nadu, without Periyar, he can't win certain areas. Also, if he doesn't wish for Modi, he may face consequences like raids."

Since announcing his political entry earlier this year, there has been widespread speculation about the impact of Vijay's foray into politics. With Tamil Nadu set to go for assembly elections in 2026, political observers are closely watching whose voter base the popular actor might influence.