Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) secured an impressive 108 seats, trouncing the incumbent DMK led by M K Stalin, which finished with just 59 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections held on April 23, as per the final tally released by the Election Commission of India on Tuesday.Yet, before emerging as a frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post, actor Vijay had once taken his parents to court over being forced into politics.According to an HT report, in September 2021, Vijay filed a lawsuit against 11 individuals, including his father S A Chandrashekar and mother Shobha Chandrashekhar, seeking to restrain them from using his name, photographs or fan club for political activities.The move came after his father converted Vijay’s fan association into a political outfit, Vijay Makkal Iyakam (VMI), in 2020 without his consent. Vijay had at the time publicly distanced himself, stating he had no direct or indirect link with the party.From reluctance to political plungeNearly three years later, the actor made a dramatic turnaround. In February 2024, Vijay formally entered politics by launching Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which was later registered with the Election Commission in September that year. The party positioned itself around secularism, social justice and egalitarian principles inspired by B R Ambedkar, Periyar and K Kamaraj.Big debut in 2026 pollsThe shift appears to have paid off. In the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, TVK delivered a strong debut, winning 108 seats in the 234-member House and emerging as the single-largest party.Although short of the majority mark of 118, Vijay’s party is in pole position to form the government, marking a significant disruption to the DMK-AIADMK dominance in the state that has continued since 1967.From actor to political frontrunnerThe 2026 polls were Vijay’s first direct electoral contest, though he had earlier tested the waters in the state’s local body elections through his fan club. In the Assembly elections this year, he contested from Perambur and Tiruchi East and won both constituencies.From once resisting political entry to now standing on the cusp of leading the state, Vijay’s journey marks a striking shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.