Vijay's rally: People throng Madurai-Thoothukudi highway for 'Thalapathi's TVK conference

Madurai: Braving the scorching sun -- the temperature at 1 pm in Madurai was 41°C -- hundreds of thousands of Vijay’s fans and supporters walked kilometers on Thursday to reach the venue of the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam’s (TVK) second state-level conference, as vehicles adorned with TVK flags crawled at a snail’s pace.

The crowd was a vibrant mix of college girls, young women, housewives, and men, all eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of Vijay on a weekday.

Aalaporaan Thamizhan (A Tamilian will rule) and Thalaivaa Thalaivaa (Leader Leader) were some of Vijay’s popular hits heard along the 3kms stretch of the Madurai-Thoothukudi highway, coming from vehicles that had arrived from across Tamil Nadu.

The crowd frequently broke into celebrations, shouting slogans in praise of Vijay and TVK, with fans dancing to various tunes before slowly dispersing to continue their walk to the venue. Hundreds of makeshift shops lining the route offered a welcome respite, as people queued to buy water, buttermilk, and cold drinks to quench their thirst under the intense afternoon sun.

Vijay, who launched TVK in February 2024, will make his electoral debut in 2026 Assembly elections.

Though organisers had arranged drinking water and toilet facilities, the lack of shelter left thousands inconvenienced as they made the long walk to the venue. Many people over 50 complained about inadequate arrangements -- including insufficient drinking water and seating -- in the open venue.

Although the conference officially began at 3 pm, crowds started gathering early Thursday (August 21) morning, with only people and vehicles visible on the highway as attendees arrived early to secure seats.

The attendees included people from all walks of life -- some came to catch a glimpse of Vijay, while others, like C Lokeswari and her husband, Chandra Magesh, from the Narikuravar community, a lesser-known nomadic tribe, journeyed with hope all the way from Coimbatore, over 200kms away.

“We'll vote for Vijay anna. We believe he'll work for downtrodden communities like the one I come from,” Lokeswari told DH. “This is my first political rally, and I'm so excited to hear Vijay anna speak today,” she added, even as those around her continued shouting slogans praising their Thalapathi (commander), a nickname for Vijay.

Her husband, Magesh, said the Narikuravars are still underdeveloped and are only now beginning to benefit from education. “There's still a long way to go for our community, and we believe Vijay will help us scale new heights. His party’s slogan, pirappokkum ella uyirkkum (all beings are equal by birth), inspires people like us,” he said.

Though many complained about the lack of shelter and adequate facilities, while acknowledging that conditions were much better than at the first conference held in Vikravandi in October 2024, nothing deterred attendees like 23-year-old Sridevi from Dindigul district, who walked 2kms to reach the conference with her mother.

“I don’t mind standing under the sun for another two or three hours. All I want to do is listen to Vijay,” Sridevi told DH.

Madesh, a student at a government college in Tiruchirappalli who woke up at 4am and drove straight to the conference with his friends, said he has already decided to vote for TVK in the next elections. “We believe he'll do good,” he said.

When discussion turned to the 2026 elections and TVK’s stance on alliances, Madesh and his friend expressed confidence that Vijay’s party could contest on its own and doesn’t need an alliance. “We don’t need anyone’s support. If someone wants to ally with Thalapathy, they should accept him as the CM candidate,” Suresh said, echoing Vijay’s position.

As the heat became unbearable, many considered leaving early to avoid the post-event traffic jam. “Let’s leave early. Thalapathi’s speech will be clear on Instagram or YouTube. We can’t hear anything here,” one person overheard telling his friend.