Congress ditches DMK to join hands with Vijay, ex-ally calls them backstabbers

As per sources, Congress passed a resolution in a virtual meeting on Tuesday night to extend conditional support to TVK, seeking cabinet posts and chairmanships in certain boards, with a formal announcement expected on Thursday, followed by a meeting with Vijay in Panaiyur.

In Short

• Strain between Congress and DMK deepens post-polls
• Stalin behind Congress’s five-seat win, says DMK spokesperson
• Congress demands cabinet posts in deal with TVK

As Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu huddled overnight to align with Vijay’s TVK, its pre-poll ally DMK -- left sidelined after TVK’s thumping win --did not mince words, calling them “backstabbers.” DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai pointed out that the Congress’s five Assembly seats were possible only due to Chief Minister MK Stalin.

With “backstabbers” pinned to his X account, Annadurai reminded the Congress that when the BJP/RSS was trolling Rahul Gandhi as “Pappu,” it was Stalin who projected him as the prime ministerial candidate. His remarks came in response to a late-night post by Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, who left the decision to the state unit.

Soon after, developments moved quickly in Tamil Nadu, with the state Congress unit reportedly deciding to align with Vijay’s TVK, according to sources.

A resolution was passed in a virtual meeting to extend conditional support to TVK, including demands for cabinet positions and chairmanships in certain boards. A formal letter announcing support is expected tomorrow, after which Congress MLAs are likely to meet Vijay in Panaiyur.

TVK also confirmed that an alliance with Congress has been sealed after receiving communication from the party. Sources said Congress MP Karti Chidambaram is coordinating the outreach with TVK.

Vijay’s two-year-old Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as the single largest party in Tamil Nadu with 108 seats, falling 11 short of a majority. Soon after, the party expressed confidence in forming a government with outside support. It ruled out an alliance with the BJP on ideological grounds and continues to position the DMK as its principal rival.

Against this backdrop, Vijay has reached out to Congress and other parties that were part of the pre-poll DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, including VCK, CPI, CPI(M), and IUML. The IUML, CPI, CPI(M), and VCK have won two seats each in the 234-member Assembly.

Earlier, Vijay's father SA Chandrasekhar openly appealed to the Congress to ally with TVK, saying the actor-politician "will give the power you lost."

“Congress has a history and tradition. Such a Congress, why is it diminishing? Due to lack of power. By supporting some party, they are declining. That power we will give, not we, but Vijay is ready to give. If you get that power, Congress can retain its history. They should utilise this chance,” he said.

The strain between Congress and the DMK, visible even before the election, has now become more brazen, with Stalin’s party out of the picture. The genesis of the rift goes back to Congress being turned down by the DMK on the question of power-sharing in the run-up to the polls. With TVK now seeking support, the Congress state unit has finally taken a call, signalling the end of the DMK alliance.

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Input from Nagarjun