From the film set of ‘Benz’ to the political arena, Raghava Lawrence has made his move. All eyes are now on Trichy East, the seat Vijay won and walked away from.
Image Source: Instagram
Actor, choreographer, and filmmaker Raghava Lawrence has formally entered Tamil Nadu politics. The announcement came against the backdrop of growing reports that Lawrence could be fielded by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in the upcoming Trichy East Assembly by-election. The development has set off widespread political discussion across the state.
CM Vijay, chief of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), contested the 2026 Assembly elections from two seats, Tiruchirappalli East and Perambur, and won both of them. Vijay, on May 10, resigned from the Tiruchirappalli East Assembly constituency and decided to retain the Perambur seat.
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In Tiruchirappalli East, Vijay received 91,381 votes to defeat DMK candidate S Inigo Irudayaraj, who secured 63,965 votes, according to the Election Commission of India. He also won the Perambur seat against DMK’s RD Shekar, receiving 1,20,365 votes while Shekar secured 66,650 votes. Having to vacate one seat under electoral rules, Vijay chose Perambur and stepped down from Trichy East, triggering the bypoll.
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Raghava Lawrence, born Lawrence Murugaiyan on 29 October 1976, is an Indian actor, choreographer, film director, composer, playback singer, lyricist, film producer and philanthropist known primarily for his works in Tamil cinema. After making his debut as a dance choreographer in 1993, he began his acting career in 1999 in a Telugu film.
Through the Raghava Lawrence Charitable Trust and the Maatram initiative, he has supported medical treatments for underprivileged children, assisted people with disabilities, and provided aid to farmers. His philanthropic track record has long fuelled political speculation around him in Tamil Nadu.
Trichy East is one of the two seats that TVK president Vijay contested and won in the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The by-election is going to be held here after Vijay decided to vacate Tiruchirappalli while retaining the Perambur seat. Initially, there were rumours that actress Trisha might contest from this seat. However, for the past week, Raghava Lawrence’s name has been heard as the candidate.
Lawrence’s close association with Vijay further fuelled speculation that he could be the party’s candidate for the crucial bypoll.
For the past few days, rumours had been circulating on social media and in political circles about Lawrence’s possible entry into active politics. Taking to social media, Lawrence said that several media organisations and journalists had been contacting him for clarification regarding the reports.
In a statement shared on his X account, Lawrence directly addressed the situation. He said: “Hi everyone, news about me contesting in Trichy East election has been circulating across various media platforms. All my media friends have been reaching out to me over phone and requesting to meet me asking for clarification. Since the speculation has grown to a point where I feel I should address it, I wanted to share this note.”
Do your duty sincerely, without expecting anything in return.
After watching this video, please share your advice and guidance in the comments. If you say “No,” I will not enter politics and will continue my selfless service to society. But if you say “Yes,” I am ready to enter… pic.twitter.com/VwPFjdaUqy
— Raghava Lawrence (@offl_Lawrence) June 12, 2026
He has now announced in a video, “If you say “No,” I will not enter politics and will continue my selfless service to society. But if you say “Yes,” I am ready to enter politics (sic).”
Lawrence stated he was currently busy shooting for ‘Benz’, and that his schedule would conclude on June 10. ‘Benz’ is an action film starring Raghava Lawrence in the titular role. Directed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan of ‘Remo’ fame, the film is the latest instalment in the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), which includes Lokesh Kanagaraj’s films ‘Kaithi’, ‘Vikram’ and ‘Leo’.
The film is also reportedly going to feature Nivin Pauly, Ravi Mohan and Samyuktha in key roles, with music composed by Sai Abhyankkar. Lawrence wrapped the shoot before proceeding with the political announcement.
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