'Prashant Kishor created momentum too': Annamalai's message to Vijay's TVK ahead of Tamil Nadu polls

Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai on Monday acknowledged actor-turned-politician Vijay as a political force ahead of the Assembly elections, but stopped short of calling it a three-way contest. He said Vijay's party - Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) - has generated significant ground momentum, but warned that it may not necessarily translate into votes. 

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Yet Annamalai drew a parallel with political strategist Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj in Bihar. "The same numbers Prashant Kishore got in Bihar 3 months before the election. But the moment you don't have a structure, converting that to votes will be a problem," he said.

Jan Suraaj contested nearly all seats in Bihar's 2025 Assembly elections but failed to win a single seat, despite polling over 3% of the vote - a result seen as both underwhelming relative to the hype and notable for a new entrant.

Annamalai said Vijay could secure a "very, very good number" of votes for a beginner and "surprise every single political pundit," but questioned whether that would translate into power. "Whether that will define Vijay coming to power - I don't think this election it is going to happen," he said.

Tamil Nadu polls: Not a three-way fight?

Asked whether Tamil Nadu faces a triangular contest, Annamalai said it was not. "Right now, it might appear to be a three-way fight. There is momentum, there is pace, and everything. Come elections is a different ballgame," he said. The BJP leader maintained that while Vijay is 100% a force, the battle remains fundamentally bipolar in structure.

Does TVK have any ideology?

On whether TVK has a clear political ideology, the former BJP state chief said Vijay initially positioned himself as a centrist but warned that "you cannot please everybody and do politics in the center."

"You've got to take a stand in many cases," he said, arguing that a leader-centric structure without strong second- and third-tier leadership could weaken the party's ability to respond to crises or seize political opportunities.

Referring to local developments such as Karur, he said that without a developed cadre base, "when the leader moves away from the spot, there is nobody to take care of that spot."

Tamil Nadu election: Is Vijay ready for a long game?

Annamalai added that Tamil Nadu has historically not rewarded new political entrants in their first election. "If Vijay has got the heart and the gut to stay in Tamil Nadu politics for a long time, then probably we'll have a different conversation five years from now," he said. "But this election is not about somebody having media momentum, TRP rating - people will just go vote and come. I don't believe in that."

TVK has indicated that Vijay may contest from a north Chennai constituency, with party functionaries moving a resolution urging him to fight from Perambur.