JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — Supporters of Tamil film star Vijay gathered across parts of Jaffna on Monday night to celebrate the strong electoral showing of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections.
Groups of mostly young fans assembled in Jaffna town, Kakkaitheevu, Gurunagar, and other areas, waving TVK flags, lighting firecrackers, and staging spontaneous street celebrations as election results confirmed the party’s major gains in the southern Indian state.
For many participants, the celebrations were less about politics than about the success of one of Tamil cinema’s most popular figures, whose films have maintained a devoted following among Sri Lankan Tamils for decades.
TVK, founded by Vijay in February 2024 after he announced his departure from acting to enter politics, secured a major electoral breakthrough by winning 108 seats in Tamil Nadu’s 234-member assembly.
The result marked a significant shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, weakening the dominance long held by the state’s two principal Dravidian parties — the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
In Jaffna, however, the mood remained overwhelmingly fan-driven, with celebrations resembling the kind of public enthusiasm often seen during major film releases or personal milestones involving leading Tamil actors.
Tamil cinema continues to hold deep cultural influence in northern Sri Lanka, where actors such as Vijay command large and loyal fan bases.
Public gatherings celebrating milestones of prominent Tamil film stars are not unusual in the region, and Monday’s events largely reflected that enduring cultural connection.
