2026 TN elections | Is the white and khaki outfit a silent sign of allegiance to Vijay?

CHENNAI: In a State where party colours are the most evident proclamation of one’s political tilt, there is a silent messaging that is making itself heard loud and clear. At least that is what many supporters of actor and TVK president Vijay believe.

Those who understand at least the basics of Tamil Nadu politics know that the black and red combo indicates support for the ruling DMK, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin; add a white border to it to proclaim allegiance to the Edappadi K Palaniswami-led AIADMK; red stands for Communists; blue for Thol Thirumavalavan’s VCK; red-black-red for Vaiko’s MDMK; saffron for BJP; yellow and green for PMK, etc.

In this crowded colour-coded world came Vijay with his TVK, which opted for a red-yellow-red colour scheme. Party faithful – they are a legion, but they are not cadre or even functionaries in the actual definition of the term – wear scarves, caps, wrist and armbands, clearly proud and loud about their article of faith.

Non-verbal support, without wearing it on their sleeves

But there seems to be another set of supporters who back Vijay but stop short of wearing it on their sleeves. For those unversed about the intricacies of the sartorial politics of Tamil Nadu, white and khaki are the colours of the dress that Vijay has preferred ever since he donned the role of a politician.

If we are to believe those claiming to read the electoral tea leaves, there is a proliferation of people wearing white shirts and beige/khaki pants at polling booths across Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu. They are also spotted in Metro Rail coaches, on taxi cabs, and on the roads. And these are not just common public but celebrities as well, including Sibi Sathyaraj (a vocal proponent of Vijay-as-CM) to Vikram (who stays clear of politics), and even Pa Ranjith (who never made his politics a secret).

Simplistic reading of a simple choice of clothes?

But are all these non-verbal proclamations of support for Vijay? Claiming that would be making a sweeping statement, as some have pointed out that the same combo was picked by political leaders who do not favour Vijay in any way.

This includes DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin, BJP leader K Annamalai, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss — whose party, an NDA ally, has virulently opposed actors entering politics, and DMDK leader L.K. Sudhish, whose party is now in the DMK-led coalition — they all wore the same colours while heading to the polling booth today.