None can match Vijay: Minister N Marie Wilson on Dhanush talk

CHENNAI: Finance Minister N Marie Wilson on Friday ruled out actor Dhanush emerging as a political challenger to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, saying Vijay was the State's only leader and predicting that attempts to position another film star as a political alternative would end in disappointment.

"Dhanush being a competitor to our leader Vijay is out of the question. Please withdraw that question. Chief Minister Vijay is the only leader," Marie Wilson told reporters here.

However, he said anyone is free to launch a political party and contest elections in a democracy, adding that Dhanush's decision to enter politics, if he chooses to, will have to be judged in time. "He is someone I know well and am very close to. But he has to make his own decision. Whether it is right or wrong will be known only in the future," Wilson said.

Referring to the 2026 Assembly elections, the minister said voters had delivered a clear verdict after five decades of rule by the two major Dravidian parties. He argued that elaborate electoral calculations and political alliances could not override the people's mandate.

"Another star may enter the scene, and some may believe he will bring about a turning point. But there will be no turning point; there will only be disappointment," he said.

Wilson also cited actor Rajinikanth's political interventions over the years, referring to the elections held in 1991, 1996 and 1999. He said the influence of celebrity endorsements on electoral outcomes could not be taken for granted.

On whether Rajinikanth would campaign in the future, Wilson said the decision rested with the actor, adding that Tamil Nadu had already witnessed how celebrity interventions played out in electoral politics.

"Who supported whom and how far they could influence voters — we have seen all that. The people of Tamil Nadu have already delivered their verdict," he added.