Vijay Makkal Iyakkam to begin poll work with Ambedkar’s blessings

CHENNAI: In a trial to 2024 Parliamentary elections, actor Vijay fondly called 'Thalapathy' by his fans, to kick start his political journey on the feet of Dr BR Ambedkar on his 132rd birth anniversary.

Actor Vijay directed his Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (VMI) workers to celebrate Dr BR Ambedkar's birth anniversary across Tamil Nadu on Friday, April 14, 2023 and to convene district office bearers meeting from April 15 to May end.

It is not new to Vijay Makkal Iyakkam to field candidates and face election. In 2019, 2020 and 2022, candidates from Vijay Makkal Iyakkam contested in the Local Body Elections as independent candidates and registered a mass victory.

As many as 129 candidates from won in the rural local body elections and 51 won in the Urban Local Body elections held in previous years.

The surprise win at Local Body elections led to widespread speculations around Vijay entering politics, but it wasn't clear if the actor had any immediate plans of doing so.

And now, a step forward, to prepare for the 2024 Parliamentary elections, Vijay Makkal Iyakkam is all set to kick start its poll work across the state.

For this, the actor had chosen Dr BR Ambedkar's birth anniversary as well as the Tamil New Year. Reliable sources from Vijay Makkal Iyakkam told DT Next that they are planning to celebrate the father of Indian constitution Dr B R Ambedkar's birth anniversary, starting from this year (2023) and the Iyakkam to follow his principles and guidance in the public service.

"To strengthen the Iyakkam and to convert it to a major movement, the general secretary of VMI, Bussy Anand, will visit all districts from April 15 and convene a meeting. Bussy Anand also wrote a letter to all district secretaries regarding this. To serve the public, the members of the VMI were contested in the previous Local Body Elections and in future, for the same, we will contest in all elections including the upcoming parliamentary elections," multiple sources from VMI told DT Next.

"Only with the actor's consent, the members of VMI are targeting the election from 2019 and it will get into a fixed style on or before 2026 Assembly polls," said Sumanth C Raman, political analyst.

"This may be Vijay's testing game. As he is popular among the people of Tamil Nadu, he can enter into the politics on or before 2026 targeting the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly polls. But he can come to politics with clarity, " he added.

It may be recalled that the Kollywood star met with members of Vijay Makkal Iyakkam last year.

On the occasion, the actor advised his fans to take care of their families first before indulging in social work.

Earlier, the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam is known for carrying out various social and relief work in the actor's name across Tamil Nadu.