Southern Lights | What the three emerging political power centres in Tamil Nadu offer

How the trio is changing the contours of TN politics

But how have the trio -- Seeman (how Sebastian Simon is known), Thirumavalavan, and Vijay – reached the point from where they could potentially reshape Tamil Nadu’s politics?

For starters, none of them have the word ‘Dravida’ in their party name, but at least two of them chose to have ‘Tamizh’, or Tamil in their names. This has allowed them to cast their net wide. It has made them appeal to all - the everyday Tamilian and the ordinary citizen.

Being relatively young, Seeman, Vijay, and Thirumavalavan have used the internet to make communication and contribution frictionless and seamless. From soliciting support to harnessing the power of cinema, voters of all hues throng their rallies to hear them speak.

Second, the ideology. NTK, VCK, and TVK fall into the subset of all the ideologies and religions in Tamil Nadu - Dravidianism, anti-Hinduism, anti-Brahminism, Dalit-Ambedkariite philosophy, that of the marginalised castes, the Christians, Muslims, and even a section of those going to Tamil Nadu’s 38,415 temples. This way, they seem to have taken Tamil Nadu’s politics far beyond the DMK and AIDMK two-party system. Also, all three leaders if anything, are rooted in the politics of the Tamil language. Given that they have a somewhat shared follower base, they use language as a powerful binding ingredient.

Third, as far as expected political alliances are concerned, Seeman and Thirumavalavan are expected to be pragmatic. They are also expected to be unlike existing small parties such as Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, Pattali Makkal Katchi, or GK Moopanar’s Tamil Manila Congress who can be lassoed into a coalition with either of the two bigger parties. Bargain and compromise rather than beg and engage in endless conflict, seems to be their political tool.

Understanding the trio

Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam - Actor Joseph Vijay

Vijay joins the list of actors and cinema personalities such as MG Ramachandran, J Jayalalitha, and CN Annadurai who were all successful in politics being chief ministers. Then there are the others - Sarath Kumar, Sivaji Ganesan, Capt Vijayakanth, Radhika Sarath Kumar, and Kamal Hassan who could not make more than a splash. Vijay’s party is about six to seven months old and his performance in the 2021 elections will indicate which group he will probably be clubbed into.

Much like the other actors, Vijay made an entry in February this year announcing his foray into politics on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). But what took everyone by surprise was his decision not to contest the Lok Sabha elections and directly enter the electoral fray in 2026. Projected to be Udayanidhi Stalin’s challenger, Vijay enjoys the support of the Udayar community and the Christians. He draws his political philosophy from three significant figures - EV Ramasamy or Periyar, BR Ambedkar for Dalit rights, and K Kamaraj who stood for empowering the backward classes.

Expected to garner a 6-7% vote share, the southern and coastal regions are where he is expected to draw crowds.

Sriram Seshadri, political strategist and advisor said, “Although Vijay clearly has at least another five years of films ahead of him, his choice of announcing his entry into politics could mean a strategic consolidation of the Christians towards his party. If Vijay aligns with the Congress, there is a good possibility of the Christians alienating themselves from the ADMK and DMK. The grand old party could lend its advantage through the minorities and its traditional voter base.”

2. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi - Thol Thirumavalavan

Thirumavalavan is the current MP from Chidambaram and his party’s name translates into Liberation Panther Party. It was born in the aftermath of the decades-long war in Sri Lanka by the LTTE or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. On paper, VCK classifies itself as an Indian social movement and a political party that seeks to combat caste-based discrimination. Led by Thirumavalavan, the lawyer, it was part of the DMK combine in the recent parliamentary election.

He is said to be influential among northern Tamil Nadu’s Paraiyar community.

Unlike the PMK, the VCK is not dependent on the DMK for its sheen although the party is always part of one of the alliances. Besides having the ability to attract nearly 4-5% of votes, Thirumavalavan has his uses. As an ally, he brings in more than just votes. Many call him the Amar Singh of Tamil Nadu - a master negotiator, a bridge between many parties whose leaders do not see eye-to-eye and a political craftsman who can cobble up a winnable alliance.

Analyst S Ramesh said that VCK has the uncanny ability to always choose the winning side. “He is perhaps the most serious politician of the three. His game in 2026 would be about being a serious kingmaker. Having been an MP thrice, Thirimavalavan would like to see himself be part of the government.’’

3. Naam Tamizhar Katchi - Sebastian Simon aka Seeman

The oldest among the three, the party for “Us Tamils” was formed in 1958 and has since been in the news and on the streets for a separate state. Seeman’s NTK won one lakh votes in 12 Lok Sabha constituencies earlier this year and finished third out of six leaving the famed ADMK and the BJP behind. Seeman’s party tripled its vote share from 3.8% in 2019 to 8.3% in 2024 and established himself as a formidable player in the TN political scene.

In as many as five districts, including Karti Chidambaram’s Sivaganga, NTK breached the 10% margin, with its highest being 13.49% in Nagapattinam - one of the most backward districts of Tamil Nadu. Seeman’s strategy is constituency-specific. He chooses his allies based on their strength in each constituency and strikes a bargain with those who could help him take a lead over the poor performers. Sriram Seshadri said, “His strategy is to decide who the winner is; not necessarily to win always.”

Deepika Amirapu is a freelance journalist based in Hyderabad. Each week, Southern Lights examines the big story from one of the five states of South India.