Veteran actor Shivakumar welcomes Vijay as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, says voters wanted change
At an event in Coimbatore, veteran actor Shivakumar, father of Suriya and Karthi, welcomed Vijay’s victory and said voters had chosen change. His comments, along with contrasting reactions from actor Sathyaraj, highlight the diverse reactions of the Tamil film industry.
Suriya and Karthi’s father, veteran actor Shivakumar, welcomed the emergence of Tamil star Vijay as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, saying the people have chosen change after decades of Dravidian party rule. His comments came at a hospital event in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, where he was speaking to the media along with actor Sathyaraj, as members of the Tamil film industry are being asked about Vijay’s victory in his first electoral contest.
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Speaking about Vijay’s victory, Shivakumar said that the voters have made their choice and they are the final judge. “We can feel happy for Vijay, right? You all have voted for him thinking that he will bring change. Change is something we cannot avoid.”
He said a large section of those who voted were youth – first-time voters, and said many of them had voted without taking money. He also said that his own grandson, Surya’s son, had cast his vote.
Shivkumar on Vijay’s victory
The 84-year-old actor put the result in the context of Tamil Nadu’s political history. Recalling former Chief Minister K Kamaraj, he said that Kamaraj spent nine years in jail and later remained the Chief Minister for nine years, but still he was not voted.
Shivakumar said that when Kamaraj died, very little was left in his name. He said, “When he died, he had only Rs 140, five or six books, two pairs of slippers and some four-five kurtas under his pillow. Can you see such a leader today? But he still lost.”
Shivakumar then said that Dravidian parties ruled the state for almost 60 years, but this time people did not want DMK or AIADMK and had voted for Vijay instead.
Supporting Vijay, he said, “People decide who they want in power. 90 per cent of those who voted are young, first-time voters, and they voted without taking any money. My own grandson (Suriya’s son) voted. They are the future. People wanted change. Who are we to say it is wrong when they can choose their own leader? Let’s hope Vijay does well. I am happy he has won.”
Satyaraj’s stance after elections
Interestingly, Satyaraj, who was present with Shivakumar at the Coimbatore event, has been a staunch supporter of DMK. Following the party’s defeat in the recent Tamil Nadu elections, he released a video in which he said that he had supported the Dravidian model government and Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin in the last five years, and declared that his support for Stalin and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam would remain even stronger in the times to come.
After Vijay became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, many actors, directors and celebrities are congratulating him.