Thalapathy Vijay launches political party 'Tamizha Vetri Kazhagam', won't be contesting 2024 elections

Tamil actor Thalapathy Vijay on Friday annonced the launch of his political party and said its name will be 'Tamizha Vetri Kazhagam'.

Vijay has a massive fan following in Tamil Nadu and has been involved in various public welfare activities.

He said his party won't be contesting the 2024 elections. 

"We are not going to contest the 2024 elections and we are not going to support any party. We have made this decision for General and Executive Council Meeting," he said in a statement.

His fan club, Vijay Makkal Iyakkam, has been active in political programmes and contested in Tamil Nadu local body elections as well.

The actor even visited the southern districts of Tamil Nadu battered by floods in December to provide relief material to the affected people.

Thalapathy Vijay will be next seen in GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), which is being directed by Venkat Prabhu. He's expected to stop acting in movies after that and would channel his energies into his political aspirations.

Vijay had in the past indicated that he would make his political debut in 2026. However, his fans had urged him to initiate registering his party at the earliest, reported India Today last week.

In a detailed statement, Vijay announced the party name, ideologies and his exit from cinema. His statement read, "According to me, politics is not just another job for me. It's a sacred job. Not just political heights, I understood that I need to learn the length and breadth of politics from my predecessors. I am preparing myself for it mentally. So, politics is not a hobby. It's my deepest desire. I want to involve myself completely. Hence, I will complete one more film that I committed to and become a full-fledged politician. This is how I'd pay my debts to the people of Tamil Nadu."