Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Hosts Allies at Tea Meeting, Alliance Talks Loom
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK president Vijay will host leaders from parties supporting his government at a tea meeting on Wednesday evening in Chennai. The gathering is seen as a step towards building a broader political alliance ahead of local body elections and the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
The meeting, scheduled at a star hotel on the city's outskirts, will include MLAs and MPs from participating parties, indicating its political weight. Expected attendees include leaders from the Congress, VCK, MDMK, IUML, CPI, and CPM. These parties previously contested elections as part of the DMK-led alliance before the political shift that brought Vijay to power.
The Congress has cut ties with the DMK and is now a TVK ally. VCK and IUML continue as coalition partners in the state government, while CPI and CPM offer outside support. MDMK has left the DMK alliance, but its two MLAs, elected on the DMK symbol, have not resigned or extended backing to the TVK government yet.
The meeting comes amid speculation about a new secular front led by the TVK. While no formal alliance has been announced, leaders suggest it may be built on a secular platform. Such a coalition could challenge the DMK's dominance in Tamil Nadu politics.
The TVK won 108 Assembly seats, falling short of a simple majority of 118. After Vijay resigned one of his two constituencies, the party's tally dropped to 107. However, support from the Congress (5 MLAs), VCK (2), IUML (2), CPI (2), and CPM (2) has allowed the government to cross the majority mark. The TVK was further strengthened after six AIADMK MLAs resigned, with four joining the TVK. These resignations will lead to bypolls, which the TVK hopes to win. Some allies and the Left have expressed concern over this trend, and the DMK has accused the TVK of horse-trading, a charge the party denies.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Chief Manickam Tagore welcomed the meeting, calling it a good effort to sit together and discuss. However, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan struck a cautious note, saying he could not comment prematurely on the outcome.
The meeting could either remain a coordination exercise among government supporters or mark the first step towards a formal TVK-led secular alliance. Either way, it brings together parties that were once part of the DMK alliance, signaling a significant political realignment.
