Vijay
New Delhi: In a significant political development in Tamil Nadu, the Congress party on Wednesday, May 6, broke ranks with its long-time ally DMK and announced support to actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to form the next state government.
The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) and the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) announced AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar, saying the decision came following a formal request from TVK chief Vijay seeking Congress support. The move marks a dramatic realignment in Tamil Nadu politics.
Congress had been a constituent of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) for years, fighting the 2021 and 2024 elections together.
Chodankar made clear, however, that the support comes with a condition. “Our support shall be conditional upon the TVK keeping out of this alliance any communal forces that do not believe in the Constitution of India,” he said.
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.”
The Congress leader framed the alliance in ideological terms, invoking towering figures from Tamil Nadu’s political and social history. The alliance, he said, would strive to bring back the glory days associated with veteran Congress leader Perunthalaivar Kamaraj, while remaining rooted in Thanthai Periyar’s social justice ideals and Dr BR Ambedkar’s constitutional values.
Chodankar also stressed that this was not a one-election arrangement. The alliance between TVK and the Tamil Nadu Congress, he said, is built on mutual respect, appropriate seat share and shared responsibility, and would extend beyond the assembly elections to local body polls, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Vijay, who launched TVK in 2024 after announcing his exit from the film industry, has positioned the party on a platform of social justice and anti-corruption.
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.
Top Congress leaders held a meeting at party chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence on Tuesday evening that was attended by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar, among others.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Congress general secretary, Organisation, K C Venugopal, had said the party leadership discussed the post-election scenario in the southern state.
“TVK President Thiru Vijay has requested the Indian National Congress for support to form a Government in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
“The INC is clear that the mandate in Tamil Nadu is for a secular government that is committed to protecting the Constitution in letter and spirit. The INC is determined not to have the BJP and its proxies run the Government of Tamil Nadu in any manner,” he said.
Venugopal said the Congress leadership has directed the TNCC to take a final decision on Thiru Vijay’s request, keeping in view the sentiments of the state reflected in the electoral verdict.
Vijay’s TVK won 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, falling short of the halfway mark. He needs the support of 10 MLAs to form a government with a simple majority. The results were declared only on Monday.
The Congress has won five seats, while the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has bagged four seats. The CPI and CPI-M have two seats each. The outgoing ruling party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has won 59 seats while the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has won 47 seats.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won only one seat, and so have the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and the Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (AMMK), while the VCK has won two seats.
The Congress had fought the assembly polls in a pre-poll alliance with the DMK, while the BJP had a tie-up with the AIADMK.
(With inputs from PTI)
This post was last modified on May 6, 2026 3:13 pm