Actor-politician C. Joseph Vijay is all set to make his electoral debut in two constituencies – Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchi East. Photo: Special arrangement
When actor-politician C. Joseph Vijay announced on Sunday (March 29, 2026) that he would contest his first Assembly election from two urban constituencies — Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchi East — he followed an established precedent in Tamil Nadu politics of leaders entering the fray from two Assembly constituencies simultaneously, though few debutants have adopted such a strategy.
Mr. Vijay has not given any specific reason for his decision and remains unavailable to the media. His fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is making its electoral debut in the 2026 assembly polls.
The Jayalalitha Saga
In 1991, J. Jayalalitha (as her name was spelled then), actor-turned-politician and political heir of former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran, initially filed her nomination from Kangeyam in the then Periyar district. This was her second election to the Assembly, having previously won from Bodinayakanur in 1989 while leading the AIADMK faction.
On 18 April 1991, she announced that she would also contest from Bargur in Dharmapuri district. Responding to questions, Jayalalitha clarified that the move was not due to fear of defeat. “I will win in any constituency as I am sure of people’s support. But some fool has issued a statement that he will commit suicide after filing nomination in my constituency to overturn the election. The second nomination is just for security,” she said, according to The Hindu archives. The AIADMK was then an ally of the Congress.
A month later, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated during an election rally in Sriperumbudur. When the elections were finally held, a massive outpouring of sympathy resulted in a landslide victory for Jayalalitha’s alliance. She won both seats and later vacated Kangeyam. However, she was defeated in Bargur in 1996 amid a strong anti-corruption wave.
In 2001, Jayalalithaa surprised many by filing nominations from four constituencies—Bargur, Bhuvanagiri, Andipatti and Krishnagiri—despite the Representation of the People Act, which allows candidates to contest from only two seats. She also faced disqualification due to convictions in corruption cases. Her decision to file from four constituencies was widely seen as an attempt to divert public attention from her legal troubles.
Double competition, double loss
In the same election, Puthiya Tamilagam leader K. Krishnasamy contested from two reserved constituencies — Ottapidaram, where he was the sitting MLA, and Valparai. He justified his decision by trying to prove that his party represented the workers and the downtrodden, especially in plantation areas like Valparai. However, his party, which was allotted 10 seats by the DMK, failed to win even one and he himself lost in both the constituencies.
A year later, during by-elections in three constituencies, former DMK MLA Chengai Sivam filed nominations in all three as an independent candidate. Strangely, while his papers were rejected at Acharapakkam (reserved), the returning officer at Saidapet accepted them. In Vaniyambadi, the Returning Officer first announced that Mr. Sivam’s nomination had been rejected, but later said it would be reconsidered.
“The Chengai Sivam episode assumes significance as he filed papers in all three constituencies allegedly with the blessings of the DMK leadership to refute the AIADMK’s claim that the nominations of its leader, Jayalalithaa, were rejected in four constituencies in the general elections last May,” he said when pressed by a report in the Hindu DMK at the time.
Seat replacement
Interestingly, in 1980, MG Ramachandran and fellow actor-politician SS Rajendran, both formerly of the DMK, filed nominations from the same two constituencies – Andipatti and Madurai West – on AIADMK tickets. Eventually MGR withdrew from Andipatti and SSR from Madurai West and both won their respective seats.
Even earlier, in 1977, Congress leader AS Ponnammal had filed nominations from two reserved constituencies – Nilakottai and Palani – but eventually withdrew from both.
Published – 29 March 2026 21:23 IST
