AIADMK-DMK Alliance: Is It Really Happening To Keep Vijay's TVK Out of Power?

AIADMK-DMK Alliance: Tamil Nadu's fractured electoral verdict has triggered intense political speculation, with rumours of an unlikely understanding between the arch-rivals - the DMK and the AIADMK - dominating social media and political circles.

The speculation comes amid uncertainty over whether actor-turned-politician Vijay and his TVK can muster enough support to form the next government in Tamil Nadu.

AIADMK-DMK Alliance Happening?

Reports on Wednesday evening suggested that backchannel talks were taking place between the DMK and AIADMK camps, allegedly aimed at preventing the TVK from coming to power after the Assembly election produced a hung verdict.

Sources quoted by India Today from AIADMK claimed discussions had indeed taken place, although no official confirmation emerged from either side.

However, another version of events soon surfaced. According to a report in The Hindu, the AIADMK had allegedly explored the possibility of seeking the DMK's support to form a government.

The DMK leadership, however, reportedly rejected the idea outright, insisting that the party would rather sit in the Opposition than go against the people's mandate.
Adding fuel to the debate, DMK Lok Sabha MP Kalanidhi Veeraswamy publicly accused the AIADMK of attempting to block Vijay's rise to power.

In a strongly worded post on X, he claimed the DMK had decided to function as an effective Opposition despite what he described as "betrayal" by alliance partners, while alleging that the AIADMK was trying to use its BJP connections to stop the TVK government from taking shape.

The AIADMK, meanwhile, has sent mixed signals throughout the day.

Senior leader KP Munusamy categorically denied reports that his party would support the TVK government. Following a high-level meeting chaired by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Munusamy dismissed the speculation, asserting that the AIADMK remained a "big institution" and would take decisions accordingly.

Earlier, former Finance Minister C. Ponnaiyan had also rejected the possibility of any understanding with the TVK, pointing out that the AIADMK continued to remain an ally of the BJP.

Yet, confusion deepened later when newly elected AIADMK MLA Leema Rose claimed that negotiations were indeed underway between Palaniswami and Vijay regarding government formation.

The clarification from the DMK has put an end to the possibility of the unexpected alliance in the Tamil Nadu political history.

Meanwhile, outgoing Chief Minister MK Stalin has said that the DMK will not obstruct the new government for six months. He will wait for Vijay to form the government as the his party does not want a constitutional crisis or another election soon.

Vijay's Oath Taking Ceremony Delayed

Amid the political drama, Vijay met Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and formally staked claim to form the government. However, the Governor is understood to have asked Vijay to furnish letters of support from at least 118 MLAs - the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly.

That request appears to have delayed Vijay's swearing-in ceremony, which was earlier expected to take place today. Report in the Tamil media indicate that the Governor was not yet convinced that the TVK had the numbers required to prove majority support on the Assembly floor.

The situation became even more fluid after the Congress broke ties with the DMK and offered conditional support to the TVK. The grand old party has insisted that Vijay should avoid seeking support from the BJP or its allies.

Meanwhile, several smaller allies of the DMK - including the , the , and the - confirmed that the TVK had reached out to them separately. However, they have not yet committed support, saying internal consultations are still underway.

The CPI, another DMK ally, has already announced that it would not back Vijay.

As the numbers game intensifies, Tamil Nadu remains in a state of political suspense. Apart from the Congress, there is still no clarity on which parties, independents, or smaller blocs may ultimately rally behind Vijay and help him cross the crucial majority mark.