Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and actor-politician Pawan Kalyan jokingly admitted that he felt “jealous” watching Vijay and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), rise rapidly in Tamil Nadu politics. Speaking at a public event, Pawan Kalyan compared Vijay’s swift political success with his own long and difficult political journey, saying he had spent 15 years struggling on the ground while TVK managed to create a massive impact in a much shorter time.
His comments came as Vijay continues to dominate political discussions after becoming the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu following TVK’s breakthrough electoral performance.
‘They won using cutouts and holograms’
During his speech, Pawan Kalyan struck a humorous tone while talking about Tamil Nadu politics. He said he looked at the way politics unfolded in Tamil Nadu and felt “jealous” seeing how effortlessly TVK captured public attention.
Referring to Vijay’s campaign style, he remarked that they “won using cutouts and holograms,” while he had spent years travelling across streets and building his political base from scratch. Though he laughed while making the statement, Pawan quickly clarified that he was joking and went on to speak seriously about the challenges of running a political party.
Pawan reflects on his 15-year political struggle
Pawan Kalyan said politics requires patience, deep understanding and the ability to connect with the expectations of lakhs of people. He explained that his own struggle over the last decade and a half taught him how difficult it is to sustain a political movement.
Jana Sena Party, founded by Pawan in 2014, initially struggled to convert popularity into electoral success. In the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, the party managed to win only one seat, while Pawan himself lost both constituencies he contested from.
However, his political fortunes changed dramatically after aligning with N. Chandrababu Naidu and the Telugu Desam Party-led alliance in 2024, which swept the Andhra Pradesh elections and brought Pawan Kalyan into government as Deputy Chief Minister.
Vijay launched TVK in 2024, just ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, and quickly emerged as a major political force. The actor’s rise became one of the biggest political stories in the South after TVK challenged the long-standing dominance of the DMK and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu politics.
His success has led to comparisons with iconic actor-politicians like MG Ramachandran, J Jayalalithaa and NT Rama Rao. Meanwhile, Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi, who is also Pawan Kalyan’s elder brother, recently congratulated Vijay on becoming Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.
According to a statement released by Chiranjeevi’s team, the two actors had a warm conversation over phone, during which Chiranjeevi wished Vijay success in governance and hoped he would earn lasting public affection through people-centric leadership.
