TVK Alliance: Vijay Gets Congress Support; CPI Likely To Back As AIADMK Divided Over Joining Govt

In an extraordinary turn of events, Tamil Nadu is witnessing a seismic shift in its political landscape. The newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by cinema icon Vijay, has stormed to power following a landslide victory in the 234-seat assembly elections. Now, the focus has turned to alliance-building, as the party scrambles to secure the magical number of 118 seats needed to form a stable government.

The Indian National Congress has already thrown its weight behind TVK, a move that brings five seats to the coalition table. However, with TVK holding 108 seats on its own, the combined total still leaves the alliance five seats short of a majority. In exchange for its support, Congress has reportedly staked a claim for two cabinet berths, signalling its intent to play a role in the administration.

Meanwhile, Vijay has acted swiftly. He dispatched a letter to Governor Rajendra Arlekar, requesting an invitation to form the government and promising to demonstrate a majority on the assembly floor within a fortnight.

As the numbers game intensifies, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has emerged as a possible ally. TVK has reached out to the CPI for support, though a formal response is still awaited. The CPI(M) is also said to be considering its position.

In a surprising subplot, a faction within the AIADMK, led by C Ve Shanmugam-fresh from his victory in Mailam-is quietly pressuring the party's General Secretary, Edappadi Palaniswami, to back TVK. Shanmugam's camp claims that a majority of newly elected AIADMK members share this view, according to a report in Deccan Herald.

If the AIADMK were to join, the arithmetic would tip decisively in TVK's favour.

Not everyone is celebrating. The DMK, a longtime Congress ally in the INDIA bloc, has reacted with fury. Spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai labelled Congress's decision "myopic" and a "backstab," warning that it undermines trust ahead of the 2029 general election. He questioned how other opposition figures like Akhilesh Yadav or Uddhav Thackeray could now trust the Congress.

For now, Tamil Nadu waits. With the DMK and AIADMK-once the state's undisputed heavyweights-consigned to opposition benches, all eyes are on which way the remaining players will lean. Vijay's meteoric rise has rewritten the rulebook. The next few days will reveal whether he can also master the art of coalition arithmetic.