For years, the prospect of a Prime Minister from Tamil Nadu remained largely a political ambition rather than a serious electoral possibility. But just three months into his tenure as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, C Joseph Vijay has entered a political space traditionally occupied by leaders with decades of experience. The actor-turned-politician, who entered politics in 2024, has emerged as the third-most preferred choice for India’s next Prime Minister in the latest India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation (MOTN) survey.
The poll stands out not just because of Vijay’s ranking, but also because of how quickly he has gained national political visibility. The founder of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) received 9.2% of respondents’ support as the preferred choice for the next PM. He trails Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who leads with 48.7%, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who secured 27.1%.
Interestingly, the TVK government in Tamil Nadu is backed by the Congress, and Vijay’s growing appeal as a potential PM candidate could potentially have come at Rahul Gandhi’s expense.
Vijay ranked ahead of TMC chief Mamata Banerjee (2%), Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav (1.7%), Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder and convenor Abhijit Dipke (1.3%), and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal (1.2%).
The Mood of the Nation is a twice-yearly survey commissioned by the India Today Group for nearly two decades. The August 2026 edition was conducted by CVoter, which directly surveyed 25,184 people between July 1 and August 25. The findings also incorporated 91,795 interviews conducted over the previous six months as part of CVoter’s regular tracking exercise.
Vijay’s strong showing was not limited to the question of who should become the next Prime Minister. When respondents were asked which current Opposition leader would be best suited to head the Opposition alliance, Vijay again ranked highly, receiving 12.2% of the vote. Rahul Gandhi topped the list with 29%, followed by Mamata Banerjee at 8.5%, Arvind Kejriwal at 7.5% and Akhilesh Yadav at 6.9%.
The findings indicate how quickly Vijay has expanded his political profile beyond Tamil Nadu despite being only a few months into his first term in government.
FROM FILM SUPERSTAR TO POLITICAL CONTENDER
Vijay’s political rise has unfolded at an unusually rapid pace.
He formally entered politics in 2024 with the launch of TVK. Within two years, the party fought its first election, came to power in Tamil Nadu and installed Vijay as Chief Minister in 2026. Before his government has even completed a year, his name is now being considered alongside established national leaders in a survey assessing the country’s political mood.
The latest MOTN numbers have added an electoral dimension to a narrative that TVK leaders had already been promoting in recent weeks. Several party ministers have begun presenting Vijay as a national-level political leader and a potential contender for the Prime Minister’s post in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Although the general election is still three years away, converting personal popularity into a nationwide political alliance would be a far more difficult task. Nevertheless, the India Today-CVoter survey indicates that the idea of Vijay as a potential PM contender in 2029 has moved beyond the confines of Tamil Nadu.
VIJAY FOR PM: THE 2029 PITCH STARTED IN TAMIL NADU
Calls for Vijay to take on a national role became increasingly prominent after TVK ministers began publicly advocating for a Prime Minister from Tamil Nadu.
TVK Minister for Human Resources Management Sarathkumar made one of the strongest pitches on August 18. Speaking in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, he described Vijay as a future Prime Minister and praised the Chief Minister’s work ethic.
Sarath said Vijay, whom he described as a CM in the hearts of the people as well as at home and Fort St George, was destined to become the next Prime Minister and highlighted his dedication to work.
The statement reflected a much larger ambition for a party that has been in politics for barely two years. It signalled that TVK does not intend to limit its political ambitions to the party’s 2026 victory in Tamil Nadu.
A day before Sarathkumar’s remarks, Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister and TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna made a broader case during the India Today Roundtable Tamil Nadu. He argued that India should eventually have a Prime Minister from the southern part of the country and suggested that Tamil Nadu could produce such a leader.
Arjuna said a Prime Minister should emerge from the South in the future and eventually represent all Indians while treating citizens equally.
Coming within a day of each other, the two statements transformed what could have been an individual ambition into a more prominent political narrative for the party.
The August MOTN survey now suggests that Vijay is being considered as a potential Prime Minister not only by TVK supporters but also by sections of the wider public. His ranking ahead of several established political figures highlights the speed at which the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has entered the national political conversation.
