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Shobhaa De on Vijay's Win: Tamil Nadu's Movie Star Politics Legacy

Author-columnist Shobhaa De has spoken about actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay's growing political presence, calling him a novice who deserves a fair chance. She drew parallels with Tamil Nadu's history of film stars entering politics, citing former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa as an example. Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single-largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly. The Congress has announced conditional support, while TVK seeks backing from other parties for government formation.

Key Points: Shobhaa De on Vijay's Political Win: A Fair Chance

  • Vijay's TVK emerges as single-largest party in Tamil Nadu
  • Shobhaa De calls him a novice deserving a fair chance
  • Parallels drawn with Jayalalithaa's political entry
  • TVK seeks support from Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK
2 min read

Shobhaa De on Vijay's win: Tamil Nadu's cult of movie stars in politics is nothing new

Shobhaa De discusses Vijay's electoral success, comparing it to Tamil Nadu's history of film stars in politics and urging patience.

"Vijay is a novice. He's won on a young vote... Let's give him a chance, let's see what he has to offer... - Shobhaa De"

Mumbai, May 7

Author-columnist Shobhaa De has spoken about actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay's growing political presence, saying that despite being a "novice", he deserves a fair chance to prove himself.

Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as the single-largest party in the 234-member Assembly.

Talking about the actor-turned-politician, Shobhaa told IANS: "Vijay is a novice. He's won on a young vote... the Gen-Z vote... He appealed to them. He has not so far proved himself as a politically astute person, but he has won."

"The point is, in a democracy, everyone is given that chance. He has got that chance. Now, we shouldn't judge him because of his lack of experience. Let's give him a chance, let's see what he has to offer..."

She went on to draw parallels with Tamil Nadu's long history of film stars entering politics and also pointed out that former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, too, entered politics with not a lot of experience and yet went on to become one of the state's most powerful leaders.

Shobhaa said: "In any case, the cult of movie stars, gathering great followings in Tamil Nadu, is not new.... Most of their former iconic Chief Ministers started their careers as popular stars. He's the next one. Let's give him a chance and see what he does."

"Jayalalithaa didn't come in with a lot of political experience either, and she turned out to be one of the most powerful Chief Ministers of the state," she added.

Tamil Nadu politics has witnessed rapid developments after TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats, falling short of the majority mark of 118.

The Congress, which won five seats, has already announced conditional support to Vijay for government formation, while TVK has also reached out to the CPI, CPI(M), and VCK, seeking additional backing.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Honestly, I'm tired of this star power in politics. TN has such rich political history beyond cinema - Periyar, Kamaraj, Karunanidhi. Now it's just another film hero riding the wave. Vijay hasn't even given a proper vision for the state. But democracy allows it, so we wait and watch.
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Vikram M
Shobhaa De makes a valid point about giving novices a chance. Even Rajinikanth tried and failed, but Vijay has actually won seats! The Gen-Z vote is real - they connect with his social media presence and film persona. Whether he becomes another MGR or just a flash in the pan remains to be seen. Interesting times ahead!
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Ananya R
I'm cautiously optimistic. Vijay has spoken about corruption and development in his campaigns. But let's not forget Jayalalithaa's journey - she had MGR's backing and decades of political grooming. Vijay is entering without that legacy. The coalition with Congress and Left could either strengthen or destabilize his government. Fingers crossed for TN 🤞
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Rohit P
The real story here is that TVK got 108 seats without any allies. That's a massive mandate! Shobhaa is right - we shouldn't dismiss him just because he's a film star. He's clearly tapped into something the traditional parties missed. The DMK and ADMK need to seriously introspect. TN politics just got a much-needed shake-up.
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Kavya N
Respectful disagreement with Shobhaa here. Jayalalithaa was an exception, not the rule. MGR, Karunanidhi,

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