Chennai: Lakhs of fans turned cadres, including from several districts of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states, took part as the eagerly awaited maiden political conference of youth icon, mass hero and actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) began amid fanfare at Vikravandi in Villupuram district on Sunday.
Vijay, the party-founder, will unveil the TVK's ideology and the roadmap for the 2026 Assembly elections and address the conference.
Several political resolutions are expected to be adopted at the conference, the outcome of which was keenly watched by the political pundits.
As per the programme schedule, the State conference will begin with a cultural program which would be hoisting of the party flag by Vijay.
Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the grand event.
Earlier, hundreds and thousands of TVK cadres started thronging the conference venue right from early in the morning in all modes of transport.
Traffic snarls were witnessed as vehicles piled up for several kms on the Villupuram-Trichy highway and the participants have to walk to the conference venue after parking their vehicles a good 3-4 km away.
The sprawling parking area was full and those coming to the venue have parked on both sides of the roads.
Party flags fluttered in every part of the venue and the roads leading to the conference spot, as Vijay was given a thunderous applause as he arrived in the dais.
Congratulations poured in across all sections, with political leaders and fellow actors, directors, producers and film artistes wished Vijay alias Joseph, popularly called as "Thalapthy' (Commander), on his maiden conference.
Talking to reporters, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister and ruling DMK's Youth Wing icon Udhayanidhi Stalin, wished all the best for his good friend and actor Vijay in his new endeavour.
"Vijay is a long time good friend of me. I wish him all success in his new endeavour", he said.
It was literally an early Deepavali celebrations for lakhs of the actor's fans and cadres as the TVK meet venue has turned into a family picnic spot.
Youngsters, mostly clad in white shirts and carrying the TVK flag, chanted 'Thalapathy Vaazhga' (long live Thalapathy).
True to the saying 'Make hay while sun shines', several make shift shops have sprouted in and around the conference venue and stretched upto more than one km distance, selling mineral water bottles, fruits , fresh juices and other eatables for the benefit of participants.
A large number of participants landed at the venue one or two days in advance and since all the hotels and lodges are filled, they have rented houses in and around the village for 2/3 days.
The actor announced his political foray in February last year,unveiled the party's symbol and Flag a few months later, but chose not to contest the recent Lok Sabha polls, and instead asserted that his party would not support any political party as his target was only the 2026 Assembly polls in which his party announced that it would contest all the 234 seats.
The huge conference dais has been modelled like Fort. St.George, the seat of power that indicated his political ambition in his party's maiden electoral venture in 2026.
Apart from this giant cut outs of political icons, right from rationalist Dravidian stalwart and social reformer ‘Periyar’ EV Ramasamy to architect of Indian Constitution, Dr BR Ambedkar and Congress veteran K Kamaraj, the famed Tamil kings of the yore – Cheran, Cholan and Pandiyan, besides the valiant queen Velu Nachiyar who fought the British, dotted the venue.
By erecting the cutouts of dravidian stalwarts, Vijay has dropped enough hints that his party might toe the line of the dravidian policies and ideologies.
Vijay’s massive cutout is the cynosure of all eyes as it was flanked by the pantheon of icons dropping enough hints that the party's political aim is to protect and strive for Tamil pride coupled with social justice and nationalism.