NEW DELHI: A fractured verdict in Tamil Nadu has triggered a fast-moving political churn, with Vijay’s TVK emerging as the pivot in the race to form the next government.The Congress has now extended support for the actor-turned-politician over its long-time ally DMK, even as the AIADMK appears divided on whether to back the newcomer.TVK is seeking support from smaller parties such as Congress, PMK, Left parties, CPM, and VCK, which together could help the party cross the majority mark as it emerged as the single-largest party but fell short of crossing the majority mark by 10 seats.TVK chief Vijay also sought time from Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar to meet him as part of the process for government formation.
Here is what’s happening in Tamil Nadu:Congress jumps ship?Congress leader Karti Chidambaram announced party’s “unanimous” decision to support TVK, saying that the grand-old-party is aiding Vijay to put together a secular and stable government in Tamil Nadu.“The Congress party has decided to support a government headed by the TVK,” Chidambaram said.
“TVK has got 108 seats. The people of Tamil Nadu want a formation to be headed by the TVK. It’s now incumbent upon the TVK to put together a workable majority, and they have reached out to the Congress party formally. It has been discussed in all appropriate forums of the party, and unanimously, the Congress party has decided to support a government headed by the TVK because we believe that the people of Tamil Nadu want a change, but they also want a change which is headed by the TVK, but is also a secular formation,” the Congress leader said.
“I think the people of Tamil Nadu are very clear that they want a secular formation. So we are only aiding and assisting the TVK to put together a secular and stable government in Tamil Nadu,” he added.The decision to support TVK was taken at an urgent meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the Tamil Nadu Congress late on Tuesday night.AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu affairs, Girish Chodankar, had called the meeting of the committee to decide on extending support to TVK.According to sources, the meeting was convened on Zoom, and senior members expressed their views in favour of supporting the actor-turned-politician.“The PAC of the Tamil Nadu Congress unanimously decided to support TVK leader Thiru Vijay to form a secular government in Tamil Nadu,” sources said.Earlier during the day, the Congress claimed that Vijay had sought its support for government formation in the state and informed that its leadership has directed the state unit to take a final decision on the matter, keeping in view the state’s sentiments.The party, which fought the assembly election in alliance with the DMK, asserted that the mandate in the southern state is 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.”DMK takes ‘backstabber’ jibe at CongressTensions rose within the Secular Progressive Alliance, as the DMK called Congress a “backstabber” amid rising speculation of the grand old party supporting TVK in Tamil Nadu.DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Congress, calling the decision “myopic” and accusing it of having “backstabbed” INDIA bloc partners.
“I think this is a very short-sighted, myopic stand taken by the Congress, which they will regret. The 2029 big elections are coming, where we were very confident that we would be able to remove the BJP. But now, because of this decision by the Congress, it has made them a very unstable partner. The perception that is out in the entire country is that Congress cannot be trusted,” he said.Cracks within AIADMKMeanwhile, dissent seems to be brewing within the AIADMK, as a faction is pressing the leadership to support Vijay in forming the government.Reports suggest that there is a faction within the AIADMK that is inclined to support Vijay and his party by offering support. There have also been reports that these MLAs are not too happy with Edappadi Palaniswami’s leadership.TVK, which stands at 108 in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly and is just 10 short of the 118 halfway majority mark, is more likely to ally with smaller parties like Congress and the Left front.TVK MLAs lodged at luxury resortMeanwhile, 108 victorious TVK MLAs, including those from distant regions, have been housed in a private luxury resort in Mamallapuram on Wednesday.The arrangement comes after a meeting with party leader Vijay. To ensure security, a heavy police presence has been deployed around the resort, with increased surveillance in place.Over 50 MLAs are currently staying at the Four Points Star hotel in Poonjeri, Mamallapuram, and more TVK MLAs are expected to arrive through the day. The party continues to strategise post-election developments.Regardless of how government formation plays out, the coming days will be decisive. Whether it is a TVK-Congress understanding, a broader coalition of smaller parties, or some combination of both, the era of TVK is here, but the shape of its government remains to be seen.
