Chennai: After emerging the single-largest party in a hung assembly in Tamil Nadu, actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is exploring post-poll alliances, primarily with Congress and Left parties which were earlier associated with the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), ThePrint has learnt.
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal Tuesday evening told the media that TVK chief Vijay has requested the Congress for support to form a government in Tamil Nadu.
“INC is clear that the mandate in Tamil Nadu is for a secular government, committed to protecting the constitution in letter and spirit. The INC is determined not to have the BJP and proxies run the government of Tamil Nadu in any manner. Accordingly, the Congress leadership has directed the TNCC to take a final decision on Vijay’s request, keeping in view the sentiments of the state reflected in the electoral verdict,” he told ANI.
In response to the Congress being open to rendering its support to TVK, DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai said that his party does not endorse the move. “It was their unilateral decision,” he wrote on X.
He called Congress “The Backstabbers” and said that the five seats Congress was able to win in this election was also because of the DMK. “When the BJP/RSS was trolling Rahul Gandhi as ‘Pappu’ it was our leader MKStalin who declared him as the Prime Ministerial Candidate. Just putting things in perspective,” he wrote on X.
Meanwhile, AIADMK also expressed an interest in joining hands with TVK if approached. In an interview with ThePrint, AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said, “AIADMK is open to joining the government if Vijay reaches out.” AIADMK legislator C.V. Shanmugham was leading the talks from his party and all their MLAs had consented to supporting the TVK.
The 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly requires 118 seats for a simple majority and this sets the stage for intense post-poll negotiations, coalition-building, and political realignments. Vijay’s TVK has won 108 seats.
PMK, which was part of the NDA, has four seats and the party is expecting an invitation for post-poll alliance discussions, party sources said.
TVK is unlikely to reach out to either the DMK or the AIADMK, as it would like to protect its image as a fresh alternative. Pre-poll, TVK contested solo and positioned itself against the Dravidian majors and the BJP. The party’s primary option is forging a coalition with smaller parties, including the Congress, which won five seats, the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India-M, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
TVK needs 10 seats to form the govt and if the Congress, CPI, CPI-M, IUML and VCK join it, the alliance will have 121 seats, two more than the 118 majority mark.
While TVK party sources have not mentioned talking to any of the smaller parties so far, they have said they would form a ”clean government”. When contacted, TVK Joint General Secretary, C. T. R. Nirmal Kumar did not respond.
The TVK chief issued a statement Tuesday. “Since the very inception of our party, we have encountered far more people who viewed and spoke of us with mockery than those who did otherwise,” it said.
Vijay added: “We had declared that this election—which has sent tremors through the entire Indian political landscape—would be a ‘miraculous election’. That prediction has now been proven true in every conceivable way…Through this outcome, it has been proven—deeply and emphatically—that TVK is indeed the primary, monumental force driving change in this state.”
Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony is expected to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium Thursday. He is scheduled to meet Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Lok Bhavan on Wednesday to formally present letters of support from MLAs and seek an invitation to form the government.
Congress had been in preliminary talks with TVK, viewing an alliance as a chance to regain relevance in Tamil Nadu after decades of diminished influence.
“The high command is taking a decision on further course of action. The discussion on the election outcome is being held in Delhi,” Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil told ThePrint. When asked if TVK has invited Congress for coalition talks, he said even that would be considered in Delhi.
Earlier on Monday, Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X congratulated Vijay on his victory and said, “I spoke to Thiru Vijay and congratulated him on TVK’s spectacular result. This mandate reflects the rising voice of youth which cannot, and will not, be ignored. My heartfelt thanks to the Congress workers of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for their hard work and support. I reiterate that the Congress party will continue to protect and serve the people of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.”
Thanking Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, Vijay urged cooperation and wrote on X, “We shall remain committed to excellence in public service, and preserving the cultural ethos of our state which requires collective cooperation. Beyond politics, we shall prioritise the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu.”
Meanwhile, CPM state secretary P. Shanmugam told the media Tuesday that TVK should take the lead in outlining its course of action on government formation and declare a clear stance.
“TVK needs to openly state their views and so far, they have not stated what they intend to do in future. We cannot give out our stand if TVK has not expressed their position,” he told the media. The CPM leader indicated that the party has not received any invitation for discussions but reiterated that the CPM can only express its stand after the TVK announces its position.
Vijay’s party, formed in February 2024, secured nearly 35 percent vote share and victories in key seats including his own from Perambur and Trichy East.
After meeting M. K. Stalin Tuesday, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, in a statement to the media, said: “It is clear that the people of Tamil Nadu desire coalition governance. Our goal in this election was solely to protect secularism in the land of Tamil Nadu. Therefore, we did not position TVK as our primary target of opposition. Instead, we focused intensely on exposing the BJP and AIADMK.”
However, speaking to the media later in the day, he said, “We are not thinking about a coalition government along with TVK. We are still with DMK. We are for secularism. We will proceed with this alliance for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu. We are not expecting any invitation from TVK.”
Since PMK has often been criticised by rivals as primarily caste-driven in its politics, TVK would have to make a choice on coalition with VCK or PMK. When contacted by ThePrint, PMK spokesperson K. Balu and representatives from PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss’ declined to officially comment.
Meanwhile, political analysts believe that outside support from AIADMK is a possibility for TVK. “While Congress is sure to join the coalition, BJP is a complication when joining hands with AIADMK. However, outside support can be sought. They want to keep DMK out of power and have positioned it as the clear enemy. Many TVK leaders including Sengottaiayan have good relations with some of the AIADMK leaders, so there is a possibility to gain support from them too,” said political analyst Arun Kumar.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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