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Party sources said the TVK is keen on tying up with any political party provided that it spearheads the front and names Vijay the chief ministerial face for the Tamil Nadu polls
TVK leader Vijay recently said the DMK allowed the lotus to bloom (BJP’s symbol) in Tamil Nadu. (Image: PTI/File)
In a declaration that solidified its poll intent in Tamil Nadu and also doubled as a hint to the BJP, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam said it is open to an alliance with any political party as long as its leader Vijay is named the chief ministerial candidate.
According to sources, the TVK is keen on tying up with any political party provided that it spearheads the front and makes Vijay the CM face. This comes after much speculation that the party held talks with the BJP.
It is a marked change from the stand that the party took a few months ago, saying it will not form a political alliance either with the BJP or the ruling DMK. In fact, a few days ago it also hinted at an alliance with the Congress saying the two parties were “natural allies in terms of secularism and their stand against secularism”.
It is not, however, unusual as the TVK has always projected the DMK as more of a rival than any other party. It has also expressed confidence in a change in the political landscape of Tamil Nadu, which it said will prominently feature its leader Vijay, after the assembly elections. Vijay recently accused the DMK of allowing the “lotus (the BJP’s symbol) to bloom” in the state, firing a salvo at Chief Minister MK Stalin.
Vijay launched the TVK in October 2024, mainly positioning it as an alternative to the DMK. Former chief minister O Panneerselvam’s AIADMTUMK has also shown large-scale interest in the fledgling party.
WHAT DID THE TVK SAY ABOUT BJP, DMK?
Last year in November, the TVK clearly said it will not form an alliance with either the ruling DMK or BJP for the assembly elections.
Senior TVK leader Arun Raj said the party is clear that the DMK is its “political enemy” while the BJP is its “ideological enemy”. These remarks had then ruled out an alliance with the AIADMK and BJP, both of whom have had trouble smoothing out their differences to form a pre-poll alliance.
“We will not form an alliance with BJP. From Day 1, we are clear that our political enemy is the DMK and the ideological enemy is the BJP. Any other party that accepts Vijay as CM candidate can ally with us,” Arun Raj said.
Vijay is also confident that there will be a direct fight between the TVK and DMK during the election, even as the Karur stampede casts a shadow over his prospects. The incident claimed 41 lives and left more than 60 injured.
WHAT DID THE TVK SAY ABOUT CONGRESS?
A few days ago, however, the TVK reportedly hinted at an alliance with the Congress on the basis that they were “natural allies”.
Reports said TVK’s national spokesperson Felix Gerald explained how the Congress and TVK are “natural allies in terms of secularism and their stand against communalism”. He reportedly said Vijay and Rahul Gandhi are friends but it is “not all smooth sailing”.
Gerald blamed the Tamil Nadu Congress for certain issues that had cropped up and said these needed to be resolved before an alliance between the two parties can be firmed up.
“There are many possibilities for the Congress and TVK to ally. However, as I see it, the personal interests, possibly business or financial interests, of the current Tamil Nadu Congress committee leadership, may be preventing them from initiating a dialogue with TVK,” Gerald was quoted by NDTV.
(With inputs from Poornima Murali)
January 05, 2026, 18:52 IST
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