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Social media abounds in Rajinikanth jokes — how he made Hussain ‘bolt’, how the Rajini Award goes to Oscar, and so on. Funnily, arch-rival Vijay pulled off some Rajini in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election.

Let’s recall some samples. C Joseph Vijay made his electoral and chief ministerial debut at one go. This after barely holding 5-6 rallies, one of which ended in a mass tragedy. A messy divorce just ahead of filing of nominations, his total lack of political experience, a bunch of equally inexperienced MLA candidates, the Herculean task of toppling both the Dravidian giants at one go… the election is the stuff future psephologists are going to write tomes about.

Watch | Live: Experts examine 100 days of TVK government

Now, 100 days after Vijay took over as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, how’s the honeymoon going? We conducted an opinion poll, touching upon governance and politics, and Tamil Nadu answered in unison: the mass election-triggered hysteria may have abated, but Tamil Nadu continues to stand by its choice of Chief Minister.

The survey findings suggest Vijay’s tenure so far has been flawed, but what’s still holding him in good stead is his promise of a corruption-free government. None of Vijay’s populist schemes — be it gold and sarees for women, laptops for students — comes close to his guarantee of bribe-free government offices.

About the opinion poll

The Federaland its sister concern Puthiyathalaimurai TVcommissioned APT Research Group to conduct a survey. From 20 Assembly constituencies and 5 zones across Tamil Nadu, 5,786 respondents shared their views. There were 25 door-to-door interviews each at 200 locations.

How do the people judge the TVK government’s performance? Do they approve of the DMK’s performance as the main Opposition party? How far have Vijay’s populist schemes won over his electorate? So on and so forth.

We sought to get the pulse of the people. And, the results pack quite a few surprises.

High on popularity

After a banger of an election result and nearly a week of daily trips to the Lok Bhavan to prove his numbers, Vijay appears to be enjoying an extended honeymoon in the Chief Minister’s Office.

Of the 5,786 respondents the survey covered, over 58% rate the TVK’s first 100 days as Very Good or Good. A little over 30% say ‘Very Good’, with 28% finding the government ‘Good’ and over 18%, ‘Satisfactory’. Around 21% say it’s Not Satisfactory.

What’s working in the TVK government’s favour? It appears that its ‘corruption-free’ plank is doing the heavy lifting here. Over 43% rank it the government’s top achievement, dwarfing the welfare schemes. The public perceives the TVK government to be ‘cleaner’ than its predecessors, though the evidence largely remains anecdotal.

The 10-to-6 man

The Annan Seer (Elder Brother’s Gift) Scheme of a 1-sovereign gold coin and a silk saree for eligible brides, Thai Maaman Thanga Modhiram (Maternal Uncle’s Gold Ring) Scheme for infants have led to criticisms of the government reinforcing patriarchy. After all, why does it fall on a woman’s brother to gift her a gold coin or her baby a gold ring?

Be that as it may, the masses appreciate the schemes. But, what they value more is the Chief Minister turning up at work every day.

Well above the marquee welfare schemes such as free gold and sarees, free laptops and free electricity, comes Vijay’s 10-to-6 routine in the public’s perception of the TVK government’s top achievements.

This superhero-turned-chief minister arrives at the Secretariat in the morning, does a day’s work and goes home. The public approves.

The Udhayanidhi arrest optics

DMK MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Udhayanidhi Stalin, was arrested earlier this month over controversial remarks he made during a protest in Thanjavur. The DMK cried foul, calling it political vendetta and a diversionary tactic by the ruling TVK government.

Our survey found 43% of the people approve of the arrest. Nearly 50%, however, are more critical. Nearly 28% of the respondents say the arrest looked vindictive, while around 13% say it was a diversionary tactic. Around 10% says some tolerance could boost the TVK’s democratic image.

After the drubbing at the election, the DMK’s performance as the main Opposition party is rated reasonably well. Around 39% call it Good or Very Good, while 22% say it’s Satisfactory. Over 34% say it’s Not Satisfactory. Unsurprisingly, that 34% is close to the TVK’s 35% vote share in the Assembly election.

The Congress-DMK split

Was the Congress right in splitting with the DMK? Could it have done better?

Public opinion is a near-even three-way split. Over 27% approve of the Congress’s move, with another 27% saying the grand old party grabbed the opportunity to join the Tamil Nadu ministry after decades. Another 27% says the party should have consulted with the DMK before joining the TVK — akin to what the VCK and IUML did.

The ideological justification for the Congress-TVK tie-up — that it’s to form a secular government — convinced around 11% of the respondents.

Power cuts politics

The frequent power cuts in the state have raised much concern. Where does the buck stop?

Blame the state Electricity Minister, say nearly a quarter of the respondents. Around 28% say it’s the fault of the senior government officials, while around 35% feel there are systemic issues like policy gaps and low manpower.

But, the complaints over the power cuts mostly remain just complaints. Over 57% feel it will not hurt the TVK electorally in the upcoming by-elections.

Secretariat stance

There is talk of the Vijay government moving to a new office. In a rare net-negative finding, the survey says nearly 50% don’t approve of the shift. Around 42% are okay with it, but over 7% are undecided.

A hundred days in, Tamil Nadu remains smitten with Vijay. His corruption-free plank and CMO discipline are winning him points. But the numbers carry a warning too.

The approval rating for the DMK, the split verdict on the Congress alliance, and the lack of enthusiasm over the new Secretariat suggest the TVK should engage in some self-appraisal. After all, all honeymoons come with best-by dates.