Chennai

The by-election to the assembly seat was necessitated after the death of legislator and chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

The actor made the surprise announcement today.

Besides opposition DMK, ruling AIADMK's E Madhusudhanan and the party's side-lined leader TTV Dinakaran are contesting for the prestigious seat.

"Vishal, chief of the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) and general secretary of South Indian Artistes Association (SIAA) will file his nomination on Monday," his office said, adding that he will be contesting as an Independent candidate.

Last year, Vishal was elected general secretary of SIAA, an actors' body, in a bitterly fought election. Later, he was also elected as the head of the TFPC and has been actively campaigning against piracy, one of the major issues in Tamil cinema.

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