Actor Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Saturday rejected speculations about a possible alliance with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections.
"There's no scope for an alliance with the NDA. We have already made it clear that the BJP is our ideological enemy," TVK's Joint General Secretary C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar told PTI.
Later, in a statement, Kumar appealed to party members not to believe the "rumours" and go by the official announcement of the party.
"Various news stories are being spread daily through the media and social media concerning the TVK, based on speculation, aiming to divert everyone's attention from people's problems," he said.
His remarks came amid reports suggesting that the Bharatiya Janata Party has been trying to reach out to Vijay in an effort to bring TVK into the NDA fold.
Last week, Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson ANS Prasad had urged actor Vijay to join the NDA, cautioning that a split in anti-DMK votes could pave the way for the ruling party to retain power.
"TVK leader Vijay claims his goal is to block the DMK. If this is genuine, he must align with the AIADMK-BJP alliance," Prasad had said. "Beyond power, seats, or the Chief Minister’s post, the focus should be on rescuing Tamil Nadu and ensuring the wrong person does not come to power."
BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran, however, remained evasive on Saturday when reporters asked him whether talks for an alliance with the TVK were on.
"You are worried about the alliance, and I am concerned about the people's issues, especially the failure of law and order in the state and lack of safety for women," he said.
The 234-seat Tamil Nadu Assembly will go to the polls in the first half of 2026. While the DMK-led alliance is set to promote its "Dravidian Model 2.0", the BJP-AIADMK alliance is determined to reclaim power. The entry of Vijay's TVK into the electoral race is expected to make the contest a three-way battle.
In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the DMK-led alliance emerged victorious, winning 159 seats, with the DMK itself crossing the halfway mark by securing 133 seats. The AIADMK, on the other hand, won 60 seats, while its alliance partner, the BJP, secured just 4 seats.
