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A report says the Congress may be offered a role in the Tamil Nadu government, including the possibility of two Cabinet berths.
Rahul Gandhi has called Vijay on Monday to congratulate him on Tamil Nadu results. (Image: PTI)
Actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay, the man of the hour, has swiftly moved from celebration to coalition-building after his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), emerged as the single largest force in a hung Tamil Nadu Assembly. With 108 seats, just 10 short of the majority mark of 118, the focus has now shifted to post-poll negotiations that could determine the state’s next government.
According to a report in The Indian Express, TVK has opened discussions with the Congress and smaller regional players to secure the numbers required to form a government. The report suggests that after an initial day of celebrations, Vijay’s team has begun serious backchannel talks, signalling a pragmatic willingness to work with parties it did not ally with before the election.
A key element under discussion is power-sharing. As per the report, the Congress may be offered a role in the government, including the possibility of two Cabinet berths. While the Congress has had a diminished presence in the Assembly, its support, along with that of smaller parties and independents, could prove decisive in helping TVK cross the halfway mark.
Adding political momentum to these talks, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi personally reached out to Vijay soon after the results came out on Monday. He called the TVK chief to congratulate him on the party’s performance, a gesture that has fuelled speculation about a potential alliance.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi wrote: “I spoke to Thiru Vijay and congratulated him on TVK’s spectacular result. This mandate reflects the rising voice of youth, which cannot, and will not, be ignored.” He also thanked Congress workers in Tamil Nadu and reiterated that the party would continue to serve the people of the state.
Beyond Congress, Vijay is also understood to be reaching out to smaller parties across the political spectrum to build a workable coalition. The arithmetic is tight, and every additional MLA could prove crucial.
If these negotiations succeed, Tamil Nadu could see an unconventional post-poll coalition led by a debutant party, marking a significant shift in a state long dominated by pre-poll alliances and established political formations.
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