CHENNAI: Senior BJP leaders on Sunday paid rich tributes to late DMDK founder-president 'Captain' Vijayakant on his second death anniversary, even as calls grew louder for the party to join the NDA ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran and Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan, along with party functionaries, offered floral tributes at Vijayakant's memorial at the DMDK headquarters in Koyambedu. The remembrance was observed as a 'Guru Puja' by party cadre.
Addressing reporters, Nainar Nagenthran said Vijayakanth was a towering personality who left an indelible mark in public life, politics and cinema. "In Tamil Nadu's political history, the name 'Captain' refers only to Vijayakanth. He carved out a unique space for himself and will always be counted among the great leaders of the State," he said. Describing Vijayakant's demise as a "personal loss," Nainar recalled his association with him during the period when DMDK was aligned with the AIADMK under former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. "The memories of working with him will remain forever," he added.
Union Minister L Murugan said Vijayakant lived a life that set an example for society. "He was not just a successful actor but a committed social worker and a political leader who practised what he preached. Prime Minister Narendra Modi honoured his service by conferring the Padma Vibhushan, and I consider it a privilege to have paid homage to him," Murugan said. He recalled Vijayakant's habit of ensuring everyone had eaten before he sat down for a meal, and noted that many of his charitable initiatives, including large-scale annadanam, were funded from his own resources and continue through his trust to this day.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leaders Pon Radhakrishnan and Tamilisai Soundararajan, who also paid homage at the memorial, urged the DMDK and TVK to join the NDA to defeat the ruling DMK-led alliance in 2026.
"If Vijayakant's ideals are to be truly honoured, Tamil Nadu must have a corruption-free government, which only the NDA can provide. The DMDK should join the NDA," Pon Radhakrishnan said, adding that election in-charge Piyush Goyal would hold alliance talks with the party during his next visit.