India, May 4 -- Actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) appears set to end the duopoly of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu, as it led in 109 of 234 seats at 1:42pm, marking a stunning electoral debut. The AIADMK was ahead on 57 seats, DMK 49, Congress four, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) one.

Vijay tapped into his mass appeal as a film star, overcoming a lack of political experience, as people looked for a change and an alternative to the DMK and AIADMK. TVK's cadre is mostly drawn from the Vijay fan clubs, which have millions of members across the state. The club members have been projected as part of Vijay's people's movem...