Thiruvananthapuram: Politics has no permanent friends or enemies—only permanent interests.
Following the paradigm-altering outcome of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the Congress has moved swiftly to support actor-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), which has emerged as the single largest force with a spectacular performance.
With 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly, TVK has fallen just short of the halfway mark. Responding to overtures from the party, the Congress has extended support to help TVK form the government.
In doing so, the grand old party has shown little hesitation in distancing itself from its long-time ally, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
The Congress had contested the election as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which also included the CPI(M), CPI, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), and smaller regional parties.
Now, several of these allies are also signalling support to TVK, politically isolating the DMK led by outgoing Chief Minister M. K. Stalin.
The Congress’s calculations appear to be driven by long-term electoral survival, particularly with an eye on the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Party strategists believe remaining aligned with the DMK in the changed political environment could prove costly if TVK retains its popular momentum.
For the Congress, aligning early with a rising force may be safer than remaining tied to a declining ally.
It remains unclear whether TVK will formally accommodate the Congress in government. The Congress has only five MLAs, but reports suggest that newly elected legislators are enthusiastic about supporting—or even joining—a TVK-led ministry.
If that materialises, the Congress would return to governance in Tamil Nadu after nearly six decades, having lost power to the DMK under C. N. Annadurai in 1967.
A Turning Point in Tamil Nadu Politics
TVK’s victory marks a major shift in Tamil Nadu politics.
For decades, political discourse in the state revolved around parties carrying the “Dravidian” identity, principally the DMK and AIADMK.
Since the watershed 1967 election, the two parties alternated in power.
The AIADMK itself emerged after veteran actor-politician M. G. Ramachandran broke away from the DMK led by M. Karunanidhi.
Following MGR’s death in 1987, J. Jayalalithaa emerged as his political successor and went on to dominate Tamil Nadu politics for decades.
After Jayalalithaa’s death, Stalin consolidated his position as the state’s most powerful political figure—until the rise of Vijay disrupted the established order.
Though TVK avoids explicit use of the “Dravidian” label, Vijay has repeatedly stated that his political outlook is shaped by the ideals of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, along with leaders such as K. Kamaraj and B. R. Ambedkar.
During the campaign, Vijay also positioned himself firmly against the BJP, arguing that its ideology runs contrary to Tamil Nadu’s political and cultural ethos.
Implications for INDIA Bloc
The evolving political situation opens up several possibilities.
The Congress is now likely to pursue a strong partnership with TVK ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Notably, many Tamil Nadu Congress leaders had advocated aligning with TVK even before the elections, though the party leadership ultimately stayed with the DMK after concerns that TVK might prove short-lived.
Now, with Congress shifting sides, there is growing speculation about possible political realignments.
One scenario being discussed is a rapprochement between the DMK and AIADMK.
The DMK could also reconsider its association with the I.N.D.I.A bloc—potentially weakening the Congress numerically in Parliament during its confrontation with the Narendra Modi government.
