Chennai, Nov 5 (IANS) Actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay on Wednesday announced that the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections would be a “straight fight” between his party and the ruling DMK. Declaring himself the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate, Vijay expressed firm confidence that the TVK had a “hundred per cent chance of victory”. Speaking at the party’s special general council meeting held at a private hotel in Mamallapuram, Vijay delivered a fiery address -- his first major speech since the Karur stampede tragedy on September 27 that claimed 41 lives during a TVK rally.

The session began on a sombre note with a two-minute silence in memory of the victims. Vijay described the Karur incident as a “temporary hurdle” that he alleged was “engineered by the ruling DMK ecosystem”. In a pointed attack on the government, he questioned the administration’s handling of the tragedy and accused the ruling party of attempting to politically exploit it. He said the DMK and its president, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, had used the incident to malign TVK by appointing a single-member inquiry commission and “deploying senior IAS and police officers to damage the party’s image”.

In an emphatic gesture during his speech, Vijay read out excerpts from the Supreme Court’s observations related to the Karur case, reiterating that the truth would eventually “vindicate TVK and expose the government’s manipulation”. The high-profile general council meeting, presided over by Vijay, was attended by more than 2,000 members, including district secretaries and office-bearers from across the state. Party leaders described the gathering as a decisive turning point in TVK’s political journey, marking its transition from a movement to a full-fledged electoral force.

The council adopted 12 key resolutions, setting the political and ideological tone for the forthcoming polls. Among them was a call to the Election Commission of India to immediately suspend the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the process could disenfranchise legitimate voters.Concluding his address, Vijay said the Karur tragedy had strengthened the party’s resolve. “We have learned painful lessons, but we will move forward with greater determination, discipline, and commitment to serve the people,” he said, drawing loud applause from delegates. With Wednesday’s announcements, the TVK has formally entered the 2026 electoral fray as an independent force -- setting the stage for a direct and high-stakes political contest with the DMK.