Vijay set to make his electoral debut in Tiruchi East

Actor-turned-politician and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president C. Joseph Vijay is set to make his electoral debut in Tiruchi East, a prominent urban constituency in Tamil Nadu’s central region, in the 2026 Assembly elections.

It was from Marakkadai, a historical political hub for more than 75 years, which falls in Tiruchi East constituency, that Mr. Vijay launched his statewide campaign on September 13, 2025.

He will face MLA Inigo S. Irudayaraj, representing the DMK, and AIADMK’s K. Rajashekaran, a college correspondent. The constituency has about 2.17 lakh voters, with Christians and Muslims making up about 35% of the electorate.

Mr. Irudayaraj has said that the TVK leader had misjudged the constituency’s profile. “I am ready for the challenge. My rapport with local organisations and service to the people will secure my win,” he told The Hindu.

Mr. Irudayaraj said if Mr. Vijay was confident, he should have entered the fray in one constituency. “No leader, nowadays, from the State contests in two constituencies. It shows that he is not confident of the victory. It sends a wrong signal to his party cadre,” Mr. Irudayaraj said.