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Speaking exclusively to News18, Thol Thirumavalavan confirmed that talks between the rival Dravidian giants did take place at the peak of the government formation drama this month
Tamil Nadu CM Vijay (right) with VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan. (X @thirumaofficial)
In a revelation that could further shake up Tamil Nadu’s already volatile post-election politics, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan has claimed that both the DMK and AIADMK explored extraordinary power-sharing formulas, including offering him the chief minister’s post, in a bid to prevent C Joseph Vijay and his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) from forming the government.
Speaking exclusively to News18 Tamil Nadu, the VCK chief confirmed that talks between the rival Dravidian giants did take place at the peak of the government formation drama earlier this month, when Vijay’s TVK was struggling to cross the majority mark after emerging as the single-largest party.
“On May 7, we got separate invites saying CM Stalin wanted to meet us,” Thirumavalavan said, referring to meetings involving VCK and Left leaders. “When we went, he put forward the proposal that AIADMK had asked us to join hands and make Edappadi Palaniswami the chief minister. I told him DMK’s future itself would become a question mark. The Left parties also had a similar opinion.”
The remarks appear to confirm weeks of speculation around behind-the-scenes negotiations between the DMK and AIADMK during the tense government formation phase.
ALSO READ | Only 4,649 Votes Would Have Got Vijay’s TVK Majority On Its Own In Tamil Nadu
But the bigger political shock came with Thirumavalavan’s next claim. According to the VCK leader, a fresh proposal was floated on May 8 to project him as the chief ministerial face, while Palaniswami would become deputy CM. “I laughed it off. Something like this can never happen in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Thirumavalavan also claimed he continued receiving offers even after VCK had signed the letter extending support to TVK. “I was offered the chief minister post even after I signed support to TVK,” he said.
The VCK eventually backed Vijay’s party, helping TVK cross the majority mark and paving the way for Vijay’s swearing-in as chief minister.
ALSO READ | TVK’s Biggest Shield? How CM Vijay’s Floor Test Tally Leaves Him On Stronger Footing
The explosive revelations come at a time when the AIADMK is battling a deepening internal crisis. A rebel faction within the party, which later supported the Vijay-led government during the trust vote, has accused EPS of being willing to align with the DMK solely to block Vijay’s rise.
The EPS camp, meanwhile, has alleged that rebel AIADMK legislators were promised Cabinet berths in exchange for backing TVK.
The controversy has also dragged in superstar Rajinikanth, whose name surfaced in political circles amid rumours that he had informally helped facilitate communication channels during the attempted DMK-AIADMK understanding.
Rajinikanth, however, dismissed the speculation outright. “I have known Stalin for 35-40 years. I was upset that he lost in Kolathur constituency. Is it even possible to discuss such a thing at the height of political tension?” he told reporters.
The revelations show how with TVK initially falling short of the halfway mark, rival camps scrambled for numbers, opening the door for scenarios that would once have been considered politically unthinkable.
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