In a dramatic development which could reshape the state’s politics, the Tamil Nadu unit of the Congress party has passed a resolution to conditionally support actor-turned-politician Vijay’s TVK, which has emerged as the single-largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly.
In a historic upset, the TVK on Monday defeated the DMK and pushed the AIADMK to third place, marking the first time in nearly six decades that Tamil Nadu’s entrenched Dravidian duopoly has been decisively broken.
Sources told India Today that the resolution was passed during a virtual meeting held to discuss a possible tie-up with the two-year-old party. Congress, which won five seats in the 2026 Assembly polls, is likely to ask for two Cabinet berths and a few chairmanships of government boards, said sources.
A formal letter of support from the Congress is expected to be released on Wednesday, sources added. Following this, Congress MLAs are likely to meet Vijay at Panaiyur, where TVK’s political operations are currently centred.
The meeting is expected to finalise the contours of the alliance and pave the way for the next steps in government formation.
Sources also confirmed that communication regarding the Congress’ support has already been conveyed to TVK leadership, effectively sealing the alliance between the two parties.
The development comes hours after Vijay met his MLAs at his Pattinampakkam residence in Chennai to finalise Cabinet formation.
Sources told India Today that Vijay is likely to take oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on May 7, with nine Cabinet ministers likely to be sworn in along with him.
The meeting focused on potential alliances, as the party fell 10 seats short of a simple majority, with sources indicating that discussions on forming a coalition government took place. The halfway mark in Tamil Nadu is 118.
Apart from the Congress, the TVK is also exploring talks with the Left parties, and other smaller regional outfits, including the VCK, CPI(M), CPI, and the IUML, to secure numbers for a coalition arrangement. Invitations to these parties are expected to be sent soon, said sources.
If the Congress and other smaller parties decide to align with the TVK, Vijay’s party would comfortably cross the majority mark required to form the government.
While the DMK has expressed confidence that the VCK and Left parties will not break away to join a Vijay-led coalition, it did not make a clear comment on the Congress’s position.
With the Congress more or less onboard, all eyes will now be on Vijay’s next moves to stitch a stable coalition to govern the state.
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