Ever since Tamil actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay scripted history and became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the social media platforms have been buzzing with a flood of posts, drawing comparison between him and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, also a popular actor who plunged into politics.
The fans of Pawan Kalyan, whose Jana Sena Party is a junior coalition partner of the Chandrababu Naidu led Telugu Desam Party, have overwhelmingly suggested that the actor should have followed Vijay’s route and went solo in the elections, instead of playing second fiddle to the TDP.
The Jana Sena supporters argued that if the party had contested alone in the 2024 elections, it should have captured power and ‘power star’, as Pawan Kalyan is popularly known, would have become the chief minister.
Jana Sena Party had contested the polls as part of the NDA coalition and won 21 seats in the 175-member Andhra Pradesh assembly. It is part of the government now.
Responding to the social media buzz, the actor-politician said the excitement surrounding such comparisons was unnecessary because their political journeys are vastly different.
During an interaction with party workers at the Jana Sena headquarters in Mangalagiri, Pawan Kalyan opened up about the expectations being placed on him ever since the Tamil Nadu election results. Without directly naming Vijay, he referred to the recent developments in the neighbouring state and spoke about the reactions pouring in from supporters.
According to the Jana Sena chief, many people questioned why he had not achieved a similar political milestone despite being an actor with a strong fan following. Several supporters, he said, kept pointing out that an actor from a nearby state had launched a political party and eventually become Chief Minister.
However, Pawan Kalyan stressed that the political realities of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are entirely different and cannot be viewed through the same lens.
He also reflected on the difficult phases of his own political career, especially the 2019 elections, when his party could not make any dent and he himself lost from both the constituencies he had contested. He urged people not to measure his political journey against someone else’s success.
The deputy CM’s remarks come against the backdrop of his party’s mixed electoral history and recent alliance success in 2024 with TDP and BJP, where Jana Sena won all 21 MLA seats it contested. By contrasting his journey with Vijay’s, he highlighted the structural and cultural differences between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu politics. This framing seeks to temper public expectations while reaffirming his political strategy within the state’s unique context.
Vijay’s swift ascent followed the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections, where his party TVK won 108 seats and formed the government with support from smaller parties, marking a historic break from DMK-AIADMK dominance. In contrast, Kalyan founded Jana Sena in 2014, faced setbacks in 2019, but later achieved a clean sweep in his contested seats in 2024 as part of a strategic alliance. The juxtaposition of these trajectories fuels public discourse but also underscores the different electoral ecosystems they operate in.
Pawan Kalyan advised Vijay to be prepared for the challenges in politics and emphasized the importance of stabilising his political party first, rather than focusing solely on winning elections. He highlighted that politics requires a significant amount of sacrifice and perseverance, urging Vijay to remain committed regardless of the electoral outcomes. This advice reflects Pawan's own experiences in his political journey.
Also read: Tamil Nadu portfolios announced; Vijay retains key ministries
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