‘Brand Equity’: Vijay’s Films Reinforced His Strong-Leader Image, Says Pollster Pradeep Gupta

‘Brand Equity’: Vijay’s Films Reinforced His Strong-Leader Image, Says Pollster Pradeep Gupta Published By, Last Updated: May 21, 2026, 16:46 IST Pollster Pradeep Gupta says Axis My India tracked Vijay and TVK rising to 35 percent vote share and 108 seats in Tamil Nadu, as voters sought an alternative to DMK and AIADMK TVK Chief and CM Vijay Pollster Pradeep Gupta said his agency had started noticing actor-politician Vijay’s rise as a serious political force in Tamil Nadu nearly a year ahead of the Assembly elections, with support for him growing steadily as voters increasingly saw him as an alternative to the state’s dominant Dravidian parties. In an interview to PTI on Wednesday, Gupta said his agency, Axis My India, tracked Vijay’s support climbing from around 25 per cent a year before the Assembly election in the southern state to 35 per cent by polling day. “Our groundwork started one year prior to the election. His vote share was around 25 per cent around six months before the polls. It rose to 28 per cent three months ago, then to about 30 per cent about a month ago. And by the polling day, it had risen to 35 per cent. This was the trajectory," Gupta said. Asked whether he feared that Axis My India might have made a “blunder" in projecting Vijay’s TVK in contention for power, with most other agencies predicting the DMK-led alliance’s victory, Gupta said there is always an element of uncertainty in election forecasting. “We gave a range of 98 to 120 seats because there was some doubt over whether the majority mark of 118 would be crossed. Even a 2-per cent variation in the vote share can dramatically alter seat outcomes," he said. Gupta noted that Axis My India had projected a 35-per cent vote share, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points, and the TVK eventually secured exactly 35 per cent. “The midpoint of our projected range was 109 seats, and it finally won 108. That is how we mitigated the risk in our forecast," he said. Gupta explained that once alliances were formed and candidates entered the field, voters started identifying Vijay as a frontrunner. “It was becoming increasingly clear that he was in the forefront. The question was not whether he had emerged, but how many seats he would ultimately win and whether that would be enough to form the government," he said. Explaining Vijay’s rise, Gupta said the actor’s decades-long popularity in Tamil cinema had given him unmatched “brand equity". “For 30 years, he has been a known face and for nearly two decades, he has enjoyed major stardom. In Tamil Nadu, cinema following is at the highest level, from the days of M G Ramachandran and even prior to that," he said. Gupta said Vijay’s films over the last 10 years frequently portrayed anti-establishment characters, reinforcing his image as a leader capable of challenging the political status quo. “People had begun seeing him in a leadership role linked to political issues. Once that trajectory formed, voters started asking, if not the incumbent government, then who is the alternative?" he said. Gupta argued that the weakening of the AIADMK after the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa also created political space for Vijay’s rise. “For nearly 50 years, Dravidian politics revolved around either the DMK or the AIADMK. But demographic changes have created a younger Tamil Nadu looking for a credible alternative…. People wanted change and wanted to try something new. They saw Vijay as someone credible enough to trust and capable of making a difference," he said. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: Tamil Nadu, India, India First Published: May 21, 2026, 16:46 IST News india ‘Brand Equity’: Vijay’s Films Reinforced His Strong-Leader Image, Says Pollster Pradeep Gupta 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...