Vijay's TVK Struggles To Find Alliance As DMK-AIADMK Firm Up Their Partners For 2026 TN Elections

As the stage is getting ready for the next year's assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, actor Vijay, the founder of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), seems to be hit by a major roadblock as his party has not sealed any alliance yet.

Alliance, Key Factor For Victory

In a state where alliances with smaller parties play a major role for victory, the TVK has not able to strike deals with the Dravidian parties. Thus raising questions over its preparedness for the next year's state elections.

As per the reports in the Tamil media, the newly-recruited party executives are giving mixed signals on whether to go solo or have alliances. It has to be noted that the party's strategist, Prashant Kishore, had earlier claimed that it will go solo in the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections.

Despite launching the party with much fanfare last year and making strong public statements on various issues, Vijay seems indecisive on the political front, political pundits say.

He has been actively involved in setting up the party's internal structure - including appointing district secretaries and state-level administrators - and is said to be in consultation for forming booth committees across the state. However, grassroots engagement appears to be lacking, with minimal outreach beyond Chennai.

AIADMK-DMK Firming Up Alliances

Meanwhile, the 2026 alliance equations in Tamil Nadu are nearing completion. The AIADMK-led front is likely to include DMDK, PMK, and other regional players. It has already joined hands with the BJP. On the other side, the DMK-led alliance is expected to retain its long-standing partners such as the Congress, VCK, MDMK, and Left parties.

This leaves Vijay isolated. Both DMK and BJP are out of bounds due to ideological and political differences. Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) has already declared it will contest alone, ruling out a potential ally for TVK.

Why TVK Talks With AIADMK Failed

According to a Times of India report, TVK held informal talks with AIADMK through Bussy Anand. However, negotiations reportedly failed due to TVK's steep demands - including leading the alliance, nominating Vijay as the Chief Ministerial candidate, and contesting 50% of the 234 seats. The party also demanded that Vijay be made CM for the first half of the term if the alliance wins.

An AIADMK insider told the newspaper, "The talks with Vijay's camp failed. AIADMK, having governed Tamil Nadu for three decades in its 50-year history, views TVK's demands as unrealistic,"

Lack of Ground-Level Connect Raises Doubts

Some party insiders feel that Vijay has not fully moved on from his cinema-centric approach, unlike actors like Kamal Haasan, who used to consistently engage with the public after he had floated his party MNM.

Vijay's minimal travel outside Chennai and limited public appearances have led to internal concerns. Many believe that only Vijay himself has a winning chance, while other candidates lack visibility and may not even secure third place in their constituencies.

Moreover, public awareness of TVK's district-level leadership remains low, and even within the party, there is confusion about whether to contest the upcoming election in its current state of readiness.

However, the surveys have indicated that Vijay is next only to MK Stalin in the most preferred CM choice, and TVK is predicted to get 15-20 per cent vote share. However, it is not sufficient to come to power in the state.

Going by the stats, his party, in order to defeat the DMK and AIADMK, should get over 38 per cent vote share if it manages to bring smaller parties into its fold. If going solo, the TVK should score over 45 per cent to come to power.