In his maiden electoral battle, Vijay will also contest from Tiruchirappalli (East) in central Tamil Nadu. "It will be C Joseph Vijay from these two seats," the actor-turned-politician announced emphatically amid loud cheers at a meeting of party functionaries held at a five-star hotel in the city. On the occasion, he also named and introduced nominees for the remaining 232 seats, including members of his core team. Reiterating that the electoral contest was between his "people's alliance TVK" and the "Stalin-led alliance", he described the ruling DMK-led bloc as a "patch-up". "I have selected candidates who will stand with the people," he said. "They are not mere 'vetpalargal' (candidates), but 'makkal kappalargal' (people's protectors)," Vijay said, urging voters to extend wholehearted support to them. He particularly exhorted Gen Z voters to turn out in large numbers for the party's 'whistle' symbol and encourage their families to back TVK candidates. "This is a generational electoral battle," he said, claiming the contest was primarily between the DMK and TVK.
