Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 8 : Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Friday declared there would be "no apologies" for the party's decision to back Vijay's TVK as it has always been anti-BJP, while simultaneously accusing the DMK of engaging in "talks" with AIADMK, its long-time rival.
In an X post, Tagore said that if the goal was to keep the NDA out and respect a mandate that felt "stolen," then standing by a party like TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) makes strategic sense, especially if the alternative is a backdoor alliance between traditional rivals under a BJP umbrella.
He alleged that these DMK-AIADMK talks are being held with the "BJP blessings," dubbing the potential realignment as "NDA by another name."
His assertion comes amid a shifting political realm after the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, as Congress broke away from the DMK-led SPA alliance and extended support to TVK. As Vijay's TVK secured 108 seats, it fell short of the 118-seat majority mark.
With Vijay set to vacate one of the two seats he won in the Assembly polls, the effective strength of TVK in the Assembly will become 117, and along with Congress's 5 seats, the alliance has 112 members, just five short of a majority.
Tagore trained his guns at the media narrative, stating that reports from "Godi media" and "pro-DMK" outlets have blamed the Congress for the current instability, even after Rahul Gandhi has personally contacted the INDIA bloc leaders following the Assembly Election results in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
"RG called Stalin. RG called Mamata. On the result day itself. Next morning -- RG backed Mamata publicly. Said BJP stole 100 seats in Bengal. Congress supported TVK -- to respect the people's mandate, to form a stable government, to keep NDA OUT. And now -- Godi media blames Congress. Pro-DMK media blames Congress. But DMK is talking to AIADMK. With BJP's blessings. That's practically NDA by another name. So tell me, should Congress have helped NDA come to power?! TVK has been anti-BJP from day one. Congress stood with that. No apologies," he said.
Tamil Nadu is gripped by a constitutional stalemate that pits a cinematic superstar's political debut against the traditional gatekeepers of power. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by Vijay, emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats, shattering the decades-old DMK-AIADMK duopoly. However, even with the Congress's five seats, the nascent alliance sits at 113, exactly five seats shy of the 118-seat magic number in the 234-member house
Following Congress's move, their relationship with long-time ally DMK has soured, with the latter terming them "backstabbers".
After Congress decided to support TVK with its five seats, other DMK alliance partners are also looking to follow the same path to have their say in the governance.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) also held an executive meeting to discuss whether they would support Vijay. They both have two seats each. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan has also called for a "high-level committee" meeting of the party to take a call on whether to support TVK.
The VCK meeting, via Zoom call, is scheduled to be held at 5 pm today. TVK leader CTR Nirmal Kumar has reached the Communist Party of India headquarters, Balan Illam, as the CPI is holding an executive meeting to discuss whether they will support Vijay.
The lines have been drawn, and the stage is set for a weekend of high-voltage political manoeuvring. As Vijay attempts to stitch together the required numbers, the state holds its breath for a new government.