Actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has put the wheels in motion to form the government in Tamil Nadu. Having emerged as the single largest party with 107 seats, short of the half-way mark in the 234-member assembly, the TVK has sent formal letters to every political party in Tamil Nadu except the DMK, AIADMK and the BJP. However, only the Congress, which has five MLA-elects, have publicly announced support for the TVK.
Meanwhile, the AIADMK, which won 47 seats in alliance with the BJP and Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss-led PMK, is heading for a split. A section of the AIADMK legislators may break away if party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) refuses to back a coalition arrangement with Vijay. Former ministers Shanmugam and SP. Velumani have emerged pro-TVK, while EPS is averse to a coalition with the TVK. Out of the 47 MLAs, it is said that two-thirds—or at least 31 MLAs—are likely to back the TVK. If the rebellion doesn’t succeed, some AIADMK legislators might abstain from voting to ensure the TVK government proves a majority during the floor test in the assembly.
On the other hand, the Congress has also promised to continue with the TVK in the upcoming local body polls and also the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Reportedly, the TVK had in turn promised two cabinet berths for the Congress in the new government and also a Rajya Sabha ticket to Rahul Gandhi’s close aide Praveen Chakravarthy who was the sole reason behind the TVK-Congress tie-up. Praveen Chakravarthy will be accommodated in the Rajya Sabha seat that had fallen vacant after AIADMK’s C.Ve. Shanmugam resigned. The Congress MLAs along with Praveen Chakravarthy and Girish Chodankar called on Vijay at his Panaiyur office and extended support. The Congress, which fought the assembly election in alliance with the DMK, asserted that the mandate in Tamil Nadu was for a secular government and that it is determined not to have the BJP and its proxies run the government of Tamil Nadu in any manner.
Meanwhile, the DMK called the Congress a backstabber. The Congress during the seat-sharing talks with the DMK, just before the elections, secured a Rajya Sabha ticket with the support of the DMK and also 28 seats to contest the election. According to the DMK, Congress’s decision to go with the TVK has shattered the confidence to defeat the BJP in the 2029 Lok Sabha election.
The other parties like the VCK and CPI, which won two seats by being in alliance with the DMK, is yet to take any decision on supporting the TVK to form the government. While the CPI(M) has ruled out any such decision, the VCK and the CPI are not averse to be part of the TVK government.
The TVK had also written to the IUML, which won two seats by being in the DMK alliance in an independent symbol. A retired police officer who is working for the TVK is said to have reached out to IUML leader Khadher Mohideen and the offer was rejected at the very first phone call, say sources. Though one of the two MLA-elects wanted to go with the TVK, Khadher Mohideen rejected the offer outrightly, saying that they won only being in alliance with the DMK and opposing the BJP.