The Congress party’s decision to back actor-turned-politician Vijay and his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in government formation talks has triggered a political storm in Tamil Nadu, raising serious questions over the future of its decades-long alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
The dramatic political realignment comes after the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections delivered a fractured verdict that upended the state’s traditional political order. TVK, contesting its first-ever Assembly election, stunned observers by winning 108 seats in the 234-member House and emerging as the single-largest party. In contrast, the DMK was reduced to 59 seats, while its ally Congress managed just five.
With no party crossing the majority mark of 118, Vijay reportedly sought Congress support to stake claim to form the next government. The move prompted urgent discussions within the Congress leadership in Delhi, where party president Mallikarjun Kharge met senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar.
Congress General Secretary K. C. Venugopal later confirmed that the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee had been authorised to take a final call on supporting TVK. His remarks that the mandate in Tamil Nadu was “clearly for a secular government” were widely interpreted as an endorsement of Vijay’s bid for power.
The development has shaken the Congress-DMK partnership, one of the most durable alliances in Tamil Nadu politics. The two parties have contested elections together for much of the last two decades and jointly swept all 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state during the 2024 general elections under the INDIA bloc banner.
However, the Assembly results appear to have altered political calculations. According to reports, internal discussions within Congress revealed growing dissatisfaction among grassroots workers over the alliance with the DMK. Girish Chodankar reportedly acknowledged that many party workers had preferred an understanding with TVK even before the election campaign began.
The DMK reacted sharply to Congress’s apparent shift. DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai publicly described Congress as “backstabbers,” signalling deep resentment within the ruling party camp. Political observers say such direct criticism from a long-time ally reflects the seriousness of the rupture.
The election has also exposed the weakening hold of traditional Dravidian parties over Tamil Nadu politics. Vijay’s rise has rapidly transformed TVK from a newcomer into a central force capable of reshaping coalition politics in the state. His campaign, centred on governance reforms, anti-corruption messaging and youth outreach, drew strong support across urban and semi-urban constituencies.
Analysts believe Congress now faces a difficult strategic decision. Remaining with the DMK could preserve an old alliance structure, but backing TVK may offer the party a chance to align with a rapidly emerging political force that appears to have captured public momentum.
If Congress formally joins hands with TVK to form the next government, it would not merely be a post-election arrangement. It could mark the effective collapse of the DMK-Congress alliance and trigger a broader reconfiguration of opposition politics in Tamil Nadu ahead of future national contests.
With Vijay expected to move quickly on government formation, Tamil Nadu may soon witness the beginning of a new political era — one that could permanently redraw the state’s alliance map.
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