Chennai: Just ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, actor-turned-politician and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Chief Vijay could have done without the spotlight on his personal affairs. First the CBI summon on the Karur stampede and now rumours about his extra-marital affair even as his wife has filed for a divorce.
In the past few days he has faced criticism even from his own party members. With the spotlight on his personal matters, the political agenda is losing focus, drawing criticism even from TVK members.
TVK women’s wing executive Ranjana Natchiyaar has accused him of hypocrisy on women’s rights while his wife seeks court access to their home.
Talking to ThePrint, Ranjana said, “I want Vijay to emerge as a leader and see him as a chief minister but he is a leader with millions of young followers and when such things are discussed publicly, it influences them.”
While announcing the women welfare initiatives ahead of Women’s Day, Vijay had addressed the controversy over his divorce by assuring party workers, “I will take care of it. I will handle my personal problems.” Vijay also said it was not “worth it”.
Ranjana has questioned his comment: “What’s not worth it—your wife or your marriage?” She said that the cadres, and youngsters today are influenced by Vijay to a large extent so he needs to be careful when addressing the public.
“I spoke honestly. I believe in the ideas of our party and that does not mean I am rebellious. My statement comes as a social message and it is not a personal attack on Vijay. Personal issues are a part of the journey but we should understand that we care about the TVK movement and it will become stronger when we talk about problems honestly. Honestly is a sign of maturity and if not me, who will talk about it?” she asked.
Also read: A message in a familiar tune: How the ‘whistle’ blends Vijay’s screen image with his politics
‘Face criticism and move on’
Emphasising that Tamil society values dignity and responsibility, she said leaders needed to practise dignity in words and action too. “He is projecting himself wrongly and this will certainly damage the image of our party. So many people have worked so hard for the party and their efforts should not go in vain. I am not writing anything in vengeance but this is support and consideration I have for him. A strong movement such as TVK does not run away from questions and in politics, one should face the criticism and move on,” added Ranjana.
Ranjana also positioned herself as a defender of Sangeetha (Vijay’s wife), praising her “dignified” approach. She contrasted his promises of free LPG cylinders and child welfare with reports of his children in hostels and Sangeetha’s claims of neglect, urging him to “be a dad to your own kids first” before playing “godfather” to others.
Sangeetha’s petition, coupled with Vijay’s public appearances with actor Trisha Krishnan has sparked criticism, raising questions about the impact of his personal life on TVK, months before voters head to the polls.
Sangeetha filed a divorce petition at a Chengalpattu family court on 27 February and appealed for residential security recently. Soon after, Vijay was spotted attending a wedding with Trisha.
TVK workers say that with the first set of interviews of candidates lined up on Tuesday, it is a significant time for the party to finalise candidates and strengthen their ground level outreach. However, workers allege, the attention towards Vijay’s personal life is bringing down the morale of party workers and hampering the overall political outreach that the party aims to work on.
“He shouldn’t have gone with her before the marriage is formally over. Divorce is a personal issue, but this sends a wrong message to society. It might have been seen as a bold move by him, but it certainly damages his image and brings in unnecessary attention to his personal life when the goal is bigger for the future of Tamil Nadu,” said another TVK functionary, requesting anonymity.
Another functionary echoed similar sentiments and said that Vijay has a very charismatic personality and there are so many issues that need to be raised against DMK, especially now when Assembly elections are just a few weeks away.
“The personal issues become an unnecessary diversion in the ongoing work and that can divert attention from politics to personal issues. He could have left that topic unaddressed in front of the public but it was being made political already. It might impact our leader’s work but we are sure that our voters will remain with us,” said a TVK functionary from Madurai.
Political analysts note that Tamil Nadu’s conservative electorate often scrutinises leaders’ personal lives. While this incident does impact the public image of Vijay, analysts believe that there is time for realignment and focusing on the election. Political analyst Ramu Manivannan said political leaders were always under scrutiny.
“The public certainly sees leaders through a lens of scrutiny when when it concerns their personal matters and no one can escape it. It is not just Vijay but even senior leaders throughout the world have to face it. When talking politically, there was a lot of time for TVK and Vijay to work on the ground level and establish a public image that would have offered a (counter at a time) when personal issues surface,” he said.
Ramu said the party’s agenda and electoral politics should be the focus when heading towards an election, especially when it’s the first time ever. “There is still time for TVK to pass through this and let this not affect their voter base,” he added. The party has not issued any clarifications or responses to Ranjana Natchiyaar yet.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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