Pawan Kalyan 'Jealous' Of Vijay’s Tamil Nadu Victory: 'He Won Using Holograms, I Wandered Streets'
Pawan Kalyan 'Jealous' Of Vijay’s Tamil Nadu Victory: 'He Won Using Holograms, I Wandered Streets' Published By, Last Updated: May 26, 2026, 14:24 IST Pawan
Pawan Kalyan 'Jealous' Of Vijay’s Tamil Nadu Victory: 'He Won Using Holograms, I Wandered Streets' Published By, Last Updated: May 26, 2026, 14:24 IST Pawan Kalyan said politics in Tamil Nadu looked comparatively easier at present. “I look at Tamil politics these days; they've done it so carefree. I felt jealous." Pawan Kalyan Opens Up on 15-Year Political Struggle, Praises Vijay In Indian politics, rival leaders often criticise one another openly. But Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan surprised many on Monday when he publicly admitted feeling “a bit jealous" of Vijay and his rapid political success in Tamil Nadu. The actor-turned-politician made the remarks while addressing members of his Janasena Party during a public event. His comments quickly attracted attention because political leaders rarely acknowledge admiration or jealousy towards rivals so openly. What Pawan Kalyan said? Speaking about his long political journey, Pawan Kalyan said politics in Tamil Nadu looked comparatively easier at present. “I look at Tamil politics these days; they’ve done it so carefree. I felt jealous. They won using cutouts and holograms happily," he said while laughing.
However, he soon shifted to a serious tone and reflected on his own struggles over the past 15 years. “I have been wandering the streets for fifteen years," he said. Kalyan explained that building and managing a political party was far more difficult than many people imagined. “Managing a political party means uniting hundreds of thousands of people. We can’t even get our own family members to agree on a single thing," he told party workers. He added that launching a party and attempting to change society involved enormous risk. “Starting a party and attempting to transform society was a massive risk," he said. Why Vijay’s success stands out? The comments came after the extraordinary rise of Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, widely known as TVK. Vijay launched the party only in 2024. Within two years, TVK achieved a major breakthrough in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The party won 108 seats and emerged as the single largest force in the state, ending decades of dominance by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Following the victory, Vijay became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Political observers described the result as one of the biggest political shifts in the state in decades. Cinema and politics in South India The transition from cinema to politics has a long history in southern India. Several major film stars successfully moved into politics and later became chief ministers. Among them were N T Rama Rao, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. Both Pawan Kalyan and Vijay belong to that tradition of actors entering public life with strong fan bases and mass popularity. However, their political journeys have unfolded very differently. Janasena’s slow but steady growth Pawan Kalyan founded the Janasena Party in 2014. The party struggled in its early years. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Janasena won only one seat. Kalyan himself lost from both constituencies he contested, leading many political observers to question whether the party would survive. Despite the setbacks, the actor-politician continued building the organisation slowly. Popularly known among supporters as “Power Star", Kalyan gradually positioned Janasena as a serious political force in Andhra Pradesh. He later joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Telugu Desam Party as part of the NDA alliance.
The 2024 Andhra Pradesh elections marked the biggest success in Janasena’s political journey. The party contested 21 Assembly seats and won all of them, achieving a rare 100 per cent strike rate within the TDP-BJP-JSP “Kutami" alliance. Pawan Kalyan also secured his first Assembly victory from the Pithapuram constituency by a margin of more than 70,000 votes. Even while acknowledging Vijay’s rapid rise, Kalyan had earlier argued that the politics of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu could not be directly compared. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: Andhra Pradesh, India, India First Published: May 26, 2026, 11:42 IST News india Pawan Kalyan 'Jealous' Of Vijay’s Tamil Nadu Victory: 'He Won Using Holograms, I Wandered Streets' Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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