TN seeing another political ‘son rise'. How DMDK's pinning revival hopes on founder Vijayakanth's son

The Print

01-05-2025

She said she was handing over the legacy of Captain (Vijayakanth) to her son, who will lead the party's youth to take the 'Captain's vision' to every corner of Tamil Nadu.
The move was announced by his mother and DMDK general secretary, Premalatha Vijayakanth, Wednesday at the party's first general body meeting since the actor-politician died in late 2023.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu is witnessing another political 'son rise'. The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) has named V. Vijaya Prabhakaran—son of late actor-politician Vijayakanth—as the secretary of its youth wing in a bid to rejuvenate the party ahead of the 2026 assembly election.
Addressing party workers at the meeting, Vijaya Prabhakaran reiterated this. 'Captain's dream was a Tamil Nadu where every voice is heard, and I am here to fight for that dream with all of you,' he said.
As Tamil Nadu heads toward a contentious 2026 assembly election—amid growing murmurs of anti-incumbency against the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), an AIADMK-BJP alliance on the rise, and actor-turned-politician Vijay emerging as a challenger—the DMDK is seeking to reclaim its political relevance. The elevation of Vijaya Prabhakaran is a strategic move by the party in that direction.
Analysts say Vijaya Prabhakaran's appointment might give a new lease of life to the party if he can take forward the legacy of his father and DMDK founder Vijayakanth.
Political analyst N. Sathiya Moorthy said it isn't an easy task because Vijayakanth built his image after working in the cinema industry for decades.
'Vijayakanth was a cinematic icon-turned-political maverick who challenged Tamil Nadu's Dravidian duopoly with his populist ideals. It may not be easy to fill his place in the cinema as well as in politics,' Sathiya Moorthy told ThePrint.
'But if Vijaya Prabhakaran is able to get the confidence of the party workers, that will be good enough for the party's growth.'
Vijaya Prabhakaran's appointment as the DMDK Youth Wing Secretary is the latest in a string of cases of dynastic succession in Tamil Nadu politics.
This mirrors a broader pattern in Tamil Nadu politics—seen in the ruling DMK, where leadership passed from former chief minister M. Karunanidhi to his son, current CM M.K. Stalin, and now to his grandson, Deputy CM Udhayanidhi. A similar transition occurred in the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), where Anbumani Ramadoss succeeded his father and party founder S. Ramadoss as leader.
L.K. Sudhish, Vijayakanth's brother-in-law and former youth wing secretary, was also appointed as DMDK's treasurer in the general body meeting, where 10 resolutions were passed, including one granting Premalatha Vijayakanth full authority to decide on the DMDK's alliance strategy.
At the end of the general body meeting, Premalatha announced that the party would organise a grand conference in January 2026 at Cuddalore during which it may announce its alliance strategy.
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Who is Vijaya Prabhakaran
For much of his life, 38-year-old Vijaya Prabhakaran remained in the shadow of his father, Vijayakanth. But after Vijayakanth's death in 2023, he stepped into the spotlight, contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Virudhunagar as part of the AIADMK alliance.
'Although our leader did not win the election, his campaign style showcased his eagerness and willingness to work for the people, a quality of his father that attracted the masses,' R. Senthil, a senior DMDK functionary, told ThePrint.
Senthil also said that Vijaya Prabhakaran had many of his father's traits.
'He is equally enthusiastic as his father. Though quieter, he's still very approachable. He listens to the cadres and understands the problems of grassroot-level workers, which helped him during the Lok Sabha election as well,' Senthil said.
Sources in the DMDK also told ThePrint that Vijaya Prabhakaran will go on a state-wide tour starting next month and conclude it at the party's conference in January 2026.
According to senior party leaders, the aim to send Vijaya Prabhakaran across the state is to inspire the DMDK's politically active young supporters and strengthen the party's grassroots network by amplifying Vijakanth's legacy of people-centric politics.
'His statewide tour will help the party gauge its strength before we join hands with any alliance in the state. It might also change the electoral prospects of the party,' a senior party leader said to ThePrint.
'The move is to connect with the voters disillusioned by the DMK, AIADMK and BJP,' the senior leader added.
Founded in 2005, Vijayakanth DMDK first contested in the 2006 assembly election, securing 8.38 percent of votes and winning only one seat. Subsequently, in 2011, the DMDK joined hands with the AIADMK and won in as many as 41 seats and became the prime opposition party in the assembly, pushing the DMK to third place.
However, the DMDK's vote share declined to 2.4 percent in 2016 when it formed a People's Welfare Front, and in 2021, the figure declined to less than 2 percent. The DMDK's fortunes further waned as Vijayakanth's health condition deteriorated and he died in December 2023.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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