Stampede, divorce and more… The many controversies that Vijay has weathered before Tamil Nadu win

Until now, Tamil Nadu politics has been dominated by two forces — the DMK and the AIADMK. However, actor-turned politician Vijay’s party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has emerged as a new political force.

The TVK has secured the most number of seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, but has fallen short of the required 118 seats to form the government. Nevertheless, political pundits are terming this win as historic and a political tsunami unlike any other.

With this victory, the actor-turned-politician is garnering a lot of attention. People want to know everything about his life — from his family to the wealth he possesses and more. Apart from this, there are also some controversies that have dogged the TVK chief.

Here’s what we know about them.

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The Karur stampede

One of the biggest controversies to hit Vijay was the Karur stampede last September. On September 27, 2025, the actor-turned politician called for a political rally at Karur in Tamil Nadu. However, a regular address turned into a nightmare when a massive crowd surge led to a stampede, killing 40 people and injuring many others.

Soon after the stampede, Vijay rushed away from the scene, raising questions about his leadership skills. Many pointed out that the TVK had not taken sufficient precautions for the rally, and even blamed Vijay for it.

A portrait of actor-turned-politician Vijay is seen near the scattered shoes after a stampede that broke during his political rally in the Karur district. File image/AFP

“If Vijay had come on time, this tragedy wouldn’t have happened,” R Balaji from Thanthondri Malai in Karur, told the New Indian Express. Echoing a similar view, eyewitness L Divyan said, “If proper restrictions and timings had been enforced, the situation would not have gone out of control.”

The police, too, blamed the Vijay-led party for the stampede. They claimed that they were prepared for a crowd of 10,000, but over 30,000 people eventually gathered.

Following the stampede, the TVK announced a Rs 20 lakh solatium for the families of the victims. However, trouble continued to dodge Vijay. The Central Bureau of Investigation was called in to ascertain what led to the stampede and if the TVK was to blame.

The DMK also used the stampede to attack Vijay.

However, it seems that the Karur stampede didn’t resonate with the voters, and they overwhelmingly chose Vijay and the TVK as their choice.

Vijay’s wife files for divorce

Vijay’s personal life has also been a source of controversy. In February, while Vijay was busy campaigning on the streets, his wife, Sangeetha, filed for divorce, alleging that the actor-turned politician was involved in an extramarital affair.

In her divorce petition, Sangeetha alleged that Vijay was having an affair with an actor since 2021. Image Courtesy: X

Sangeetha claimed in the petition that she found out that Vijay had been having an affair with a female actor since 2021. She further alleged that he made no efforts to end the relationship despite providing assurances to do so.

Her petition adds that Vijay excluded her from his social and professional circles while continuing to travel abroad and attend public events with the female actor. She further stated that photos of Vijay with the said actor had caused her humiliation. Moreover, Vijay had withdrawn facilities previously available to Sangeetha and imposed financial restrictions, including limiting her free movement.

But Vijay weathered on with his fans supporting him. D Swetha, a 26-year-old private company employee from Chennai, told South First, “This is a conspiracy by opposition parties because he entered politics and is growing. Leaders in those parties themselves have had multiple marriages. Now, deliberately during election time, they are spreading this.”

Many also pointed out that Tamil Nadu politics has seen leaders who faced personal criticisms and controversies in their private lives.

For many, the woman whom Sangeetha was referring to is Tamil actor Trisha Krishnan. And this went into overdrive today (May 4) when Trisha was clicked outside the residence of TVK chief after visiting the Tirupati temple to mark her 43rd birthday.

The ’Jan Nagayan’ row

When Vijay joined politics, he announced that he would be quitting the movie industry, which resulted in Jan Nagayan being his last film. However, the movie hasn’t seen the light of day and instead has become embroiled in one controversy after another.

The movie was initially slated for a January 9 release. However, a member of the examining committee of the Censor Board alleged that his objections were neither sought nor recorded during the screening of the movie.

The member alleged that the movie had several references to the Indian Army, but no defence or security expert was included on the reviewing panel — a violation of the Cinematograph Act and its rules.

This led to the movie’s release being indefinitely deferred and even resulted in a court battle. Amid this drama, the movie was leaked online. While Vijay’s team tried to contain the leak, clips, scenes and dialogues, in some cases, the entire film has already found its way online.

If this wasn’t bad enough, after the leak, Prime Video which acquired the rights for Rs 120 crore, reportedly terminated the contract.

All in all, it appears that Vijay’s entry into politics has been bumpy and scandal-ridden. But the public seems to be on his side. They have chosen him as their new leader.

The question is: Can he form a government in Tamil Nadu and claim the throne of power?

With inputs from agencies