2026 TN polls | Vijay missing, TVK fields lookalike to campaign for candidates

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has long been accustomed to lookalikes of its iconic leaders, from MG Ramachandran and K Kamaraj to CN Annadurai, J Jayalalithaa, M Karunanidhi and Mahatma Gandhi, at public events and political gatherings.

But seldom has a lookalike been drawn into the centre of an election campaign to compensate for a leader's sustained absence. In the 2026 Assembly polls, that unusual role is being played by "Vijay Madhi", as Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) grapples with the limited on-ground presence of its founder, C Joseph Vijay.

Being a fan is easy; being a stand-in is not. For Madhiyazhagan (34), a BSc, BEd graduate from Pappampatti near Palani, the transformation into a near mirror image of Vijay over 15 years has brought both visibility and vulnerability. "Banks deny me loans. They see me as an artist without stability, not as a businessman," he told DT Next, underlining how his persona has begun to undercut his livelihood as a barber, his primary source of income.

A stage performer since childhood, Madhi said his imitation took shape after friends repeatedly pointed out his resemblance. "At 19, I completely became Vijay—his style, his mannerisms. Now even my family calls me Vijay Madhi," he said. Initial ridicule, including from within his family, gave way to acceptance after his performances gained traction on social media.

Today, that personal transformation has acquired political utility. As a TVK member, he has spent the past 14 days campaigning in Kolathur for candidate VS Babu, who brought him in explicitly to fill the vacuum left by Vijay's absence. "Wherever I go, people treat me as Vijay. Children and voters respond with enthusiasm," he said. The contrast is particularly stark in Kolathur, where Chief Minister MK Stalin is in the fray and where sustained, direct campaigning is critical.

Madhi said several candidates sought his presence after seeing his outreach, but he declined, citing his commitment to Babu. He is expected to campaign for TVK general secretary N Anand on the final day of canvassing (April 21).

While the role has brought him recognition and income through performances and campaign work, it has also blurred the line between identity and image. "People have forgotten my original name. Even at home, I live like Vijay. My children are happy, they too are his fans," he said.

From cardboard cutouts to AI-generated holograms, TVK candidates have increasingly turned to substitutes to project Vijay's presence. For TVK, however, the reliance on a lookalike is more than a campaign tactic. It reflects the limits of a political model built overwhelmingly around a single individual. When that individual is absent, the campaign does not pause—it adapts, often awkwardly. In this election, that adaptation has taken the form of proxies, raising a sharper question: whether presence can be replicated, or only performed.