Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu): Banking on a fresh alliance with the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) is looking to reclaim its political ground in Tamil Nadu and revive the legacy of its founder, the late actor-politician Captain Vijayakanth.
His son, V. Vijay Prabhakaran, now the party’s face, told ThePrint in an interview that the tie-up with DMK offers the platform the party needs to stage a comeback in Tamil Nadu politics through the assembly polls. The DMDK leader, who is contesting from Virudhunagar as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), expressed strong confidence that the party is poised for a comeback in the upcoming elections.
Tamil Nadu is set to vote in a single phase on 23 April.
With 10 seats allocated to the DMDK as part of the seat-sharing arrangement, Prabhakaran said the focus of everyone in the alliance is now firmly on his party.
“As part of the alliance with the DMK, we will revive my father’s vision for the DMDK as a party rooted in clean politics, honesty, and action for the people,” he told ThePrint.
He said the party and its cadre “had a difficult time” because of his father’s ill health.
Captain Vijayakanth’s death in December 2023 was a “big loss for us”, he said. “The cadres were worried about how to take the party forward, and this is when my mother stepped in, and I am here with the support of my cadres. The DMK alliance in this election has given us the platform to fulfil the dream of my father,” Vijay Prabhakaran told The Print.
Taking legacy forward
Vijay Prabhakaran said entering politics was both a personal and political responsibility for him following his father’s death.
“Being Vijayakanth’s son itself is a big responsibility since there were lakhs of followers depending on us, and suddenly they all felt like they were left alone with no leader. It is my duty to fill that gap and carry forward the legacy that the Captain built over two decades,” he said.
In 2006, as a newly formed party, the DMDK contested 232 out of 234 seats independently, and managed to win only one, even though it received a vote share of 8.38 percent.
In the 2011 elections, which it contested in alliance with the AIADMK, the party contested 41 seats and won 29.
In 2016, still a part of the AIADMK alliance, the DMDK contested 104 seats but won none, with its vote share dropping to 2.39 percent.
In the 2021 elections, the party again aligned with the AIADMK and contested 60 seats and once more drew a blank, securing just 0.43 percent of the total votes polled in the state.
The cadre & supporters who stood by my father will see DMDK back through an action-based approach & not just empty promises like other parties—V Prabhakaran.
Prabhakaran credited his mother, DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth, for providing steady leadership and acting as the “shield” for the party during difficult times.
“With my mother guiding us despite the challenges, we will reclaim the loyal base and support of the leader through concrete action, not just words. The cadre and supporters who stood by my father will see that the DMDK is back through an action-based approach and not just empty promises like other parties,” Prabhakaran asserted.
Addressing criticism of dynasty politics and nepotism, he said he entered politics at his father’s encouragement to participate in party meetings.
After his father’s death, he said, he saw it as his responsibility to calm the anxious cadres. “I am here not only for my father but also for my cadres who stood with us during the hard time.”
DMK versus AIADMK
The DMDK leader highlighted the contrast in how different parties treated the DMDK. He recalled past frictions with the DMK but noted that there is no personal enmity.
“When the DMDK was formed (in 2005), the DMK was in power. Any new party opposes the party in power and then forms its own ideology. Personally, there is mutual respect (between the DMK and the DMDK),” he said.
Vijay Prabhakaran recalled that at his father’s wedding, the most significant function of handing over the thali (sacred thread) was performed by Kaliangar Karunanidhi. “Stalin sir said in one of his campaign rallies that he once campaigned for my father in a film and now he is campaigning for his son, in real life.”
He said that the DMDK would firmly stand with the DMK alliance because they were treated with respect and the promises made to them were acted upon. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin acted swiftly on promises, including allocating a Rajya Sabha seat, Prabhakaran said.
The current alliance felt mutually respectful and calm, with leaders like Udhayanidhi Stalin and Kanimozhi campaigning actively, he said.
‘Alliance (with DMK) will help us regain influence and play a meaningful role in forming the next government,’ V Prabhakaran.
In comparison, he said, “The AIADMK did not honour assurances given to us. They were always worried that other parties might dominate. That approach did not work for us.”
“The DMK, on the other hand, has shown sincerity in this alliance, and this is why no one is leaving the SPA. Everyone was questioning why the DMDK is given 10 seats, but we will prove that it is because the party has a good vote share. We believe in actions rather than just talking about my plans for the party,” Prabhakaran said.
He exuded confidence that the DMDK still retains strong booth-level organisation across Tamil Nadu, a legacy of Vijayakanth’s era when the party made its mark as a third force.
“Even with limited seats or initial victories, the DMDK will surge back like a phoenix. The DMDK still has a base in all 234 constituencies. The organisational strength of our party is intact, with at least five booth-level members in every booth. This alliance will help us regain influence and play a meaningful role in forming the next government,” he said.
‘Vijay pulls crowd but lacks ideology’
Asked about the growing buzz around actor Vijay and his Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), Pabhakaran acknowledged that Vijay is a major crowd-puller but pointed out leadership lapses. “I have witnessed from personal experience how a strong fan base can translate into political support, especially among the youth. However, a leader needs to be humble and accessible. Vijay says he will meet the people once a month, but how is this fair? As an MLA, he should always be accessible, and that is one of the top qualities of any leader. One cannot do politics if he/she is not rooted,” said Prabhakaran.
He also questioned TVK’s political approach when responding to criticism from TVK treasurer P. Venkatramanan that the DMDK has fizzled out with time, unlike the TVK, which would grow stronger with time.
“While Vijay is a crowd-puller, his party does not have a strong ideology or a deeply rooted idea of politics like the DMDK. The Captain built this party on clear principles of social justice, clean administration, and people-centric governance. That is the fundamental difference, and that’s why they are different, because they have no clear political ideology,” he said.
‘On delimitation, AIADMK can only stay silent’
On the issue of delimitation, Vijay Prabhakaran made the party’s position unambiguous.
“The DMK’s stance on the delimitation bill is the DMDK’s stance. We are firmly against it. Any move that undermines the political voice of southern states like Tamil Nadu must be opposed strongly,” he stated.
However, AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami told a roadshow in Coimbatore recently that when Union Minister Amit Shah visited Tamil Nadu, he assured that the state would not be disadvantaged. “The NDA will implement delimitation better than what Stalin expected. The Centre is clear that no State will be affected by the delimitation,” EPS said.
AIADMK, previously an ally of the DMDK, had attended an all-party meeting convened by the ruling DMK on 5 March 2025 to discuss the southern state’s concerns related to any future delimitation exercise.
However, on 14 April, when the DMK called for agitation against The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, the AIADMK, which is currently in alliance with the BJP, did not express any opposition to it.
Asked about the AIADMK’s relative silence on delimitation, while the party earlier extended support to DMK during the all-party meeting, Prabhakaran said, “They have no other option now. The political ground has shifted because now they are a BJP ally, and they are left with limited choices.”
The Virudhunagar constituency holds special significance for the DMDK.
Prabhakaran, who had a narrow contest in the region earlier, is confident of victory in the state assembly elections, also banking on his father’s popularity and the alliance arithmetic. For the DMDK, the current alliance is not merely about winning seats, but also about restoring the party’s relevance and the faith of the cadres in the party.
“We are not here just to contest for personal gains. I was willing to let other party members contest. People asked if I would be able to deliver for the people of Virudhunagar because I have lived in Chennai. I have come to Virudhunagar and moved to a house here because I understand the ground politics, and I have seen my father’s legacy here growing up.
“We want to deliver on people’s demands, which include better governance, development without corruption, and policies that benefit the common man,” Vijay Prabhakaran emphasised.
He said that Virudhunagar struggles with water shortage, and while it has improved from water supply once in 10 days during the AIADMK period to once in four days during the last regime, he aims to ensure a regular water supply in the region and also offer overall development of my constituency.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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