C. Joseph Vijay of the Thanthai Vikatan Katchi (TVK) is poised to become chief minister of Tamil Nadu after securing the critical support that gives his party a claim to form the government. Vijay has already demonstrated letters of support to the Governor and will be required to prove his majority on the floor of the state Assembly after being sworn in. The coalition now claims 120 MLAs: TVK 107, Congress 5, the Left 4, VCK 2 and IUML 2.
The two small partners whose backing proved decisive-Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)—say they will support a TVK government while maintaining ties with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan met DMK chief M.K. Stalin on May 8, 2026 and said, “When I communicated our decision to support the TVK, Stalin did not stop us.” The VCK has publicly framed its choice as a move to avoid a constitutional crisis and the imposition of President’s Rule in the state; the IUML has issued similar statements of proximity to the DMK even as it backs Vijay.
The arrangement is unusual: two parties are supporting a TVK-led administration without formally breaking with the principal opposition. That dependence on VCK and IUML means Vijay’s nascent government rests on partners who remain close to the DMK. The past 72 hours (May 6–9, 2026) exposed the grit of post-election coalition building-four trips to the Lok Bhavan, waits for letters of support and repeated negotiations that tested the TVK’s political nerves.
Assembly arithmetic underscores the fragility and the pressure points. The DMK holds 59 seats and the AIADMK 47; both parties, at times, explored working together to block the TVK. The Left refused to join any such experiment, while the Congress formally severed its ties with the DMK. Even the BJP, uneasy with a Congress-led arrangement, reportedly preferred a TVK–AIADMK alignment. Yet public sentiment and the mandate, the TVK camp argues, make moves to prevent Vijay’s oath politically risky.
Insiders say the DMK will watch Vijay closely for openings to undermine his government. With old allies now inside the administration, the risk of defections or engineered instability remains real. Sections of the AIADMK may still gravitate toward the TVK depending on concessions and offers.
Vijay’s challenge is now to convert mass appeal into durable governance. The TVK strategy appears to be to govern with the present numbers and then seek a clearer mandate from voters. That will require the actor-turned-politician to trade celebrity for coalition management, secure fragile support, and avoid missteps that could erode public goodwill. Forming the government was a baptism by fire; keeping it will demand a different, steadier politics.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-vijay-chief-minister-tvk-vijay-analysis-in-vijays-delicate-coalition-tango-dmk-holds-some-strings-11473062#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-05-10 00:50:00
