Tamil superstar Vijay's historic political debut has shocked everyone. His achievement is the biggest in the history of Tamil cinema. MGR did become CM, but he had been in politics for more than two decades before becoming one.
Vijay's smashing performance at the polls shows that nobody with an image can be underestimated. And people always look for the "newness factor" in elections if it is available on a platter. After Pawan Kalyan, the only major contemporary Telugu cinema actor who has the potential to make a mark in the field of politics is Jr NTR.
Tarak's brief brush with politics:
Jr NTR's only political involvement so far is his relentless, energetic 2009 campaign for the TDP. Many expected him to become a full-time political functionary, handling some or the other key post in the party. That didn't happen. Had that happened, he would have gained practical experience, much like MGR did.
No void in AP:
As things stand, there is no void in Andhra Pradesh politics today. Chandrababu Naidu is at his strongest. Pawan Kalyan is in power, and his support base is charged up. Nara Lokesh is rising, and is always in news. Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP may be out of power, but the vote-share of the party is big enough (and that's why he can't be written off).
What could change in a decade?
Jr NTR's supporters, however, feel that things could change in ten years. They believe that the BJP will support Tarak and fund his young party at a time when the TDP's relevance starts fading and the newness factor disappears for Jana Sena. If that happens, there is a high chance that a very large section of voters will vote for Tarak's party. It's not true that only established parties with a grassroots organizational structure stand a chance in politics. The mind-blowing performance of the TVK suggests there is hope for Tarak if he gets his ideological and policy posturing right.
