Vijay Seeks Congress Support for Government Formation in Tamil Nadu

KC Venugopal, the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), confirmed the request during a press briefing. He stated that the TVK leadership has approached the Congress to bridge the gap required for a majority in the 234-seat assembly. The Congress high command has reportedly taken a positive view of the request, though the final decision has been delegated to the party’s state unit.

Parliamentary Arithmetic and the Majority Mark

The 2026 election results have produced a fractured mandate, the first in the state since 2006. The TVK emerged as the single largest party, securing 108 seats, placing it just ten seats short of the 118-seat majority mark. The incumbent DMK followed with 59 seats, while the AIADMK secured 47 seats.

The Congress, which contested as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, won 5 seats. While the combined total of TVK and Congress (113 seats) still falls slightly short of the absolute majority, it creates a viable foundation for a coalition government, potentially involving other smaller secular parties or independent candidates.

The current legislative breakdown is as follows:

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK): 108

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK): 59

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK): 47

Indian National Congress (INC): 5

Others (PMK, VCK, Left Parties, etc.): 15

Congress Strategy and Secular Alignment

The Congress party’s deliberation on supporting the TVK is rooted in its ideological commitment to maintaining a “secular” administration in the southern state. KC Venugopal emphasised that the electorate’s mandate was clearly against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its proxies. The BJP was reduced to just one seat in this election, with several of its top state leaders facing defeat.

To finalise their stance, the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting in Chennai on the morning of Wednesday, 6 May 2026. Girish Chodankar, the AICC official in charge of Tamil Nadu, noted that Vijay has already sent a formal letter to the Congress President outlining his vision for the state.

“The Congress is clear that the mandate in Tamil Nadu is for a secular government, committed to protecting the Constitution in letter and spirit. We are determined not to allow the BJP or its proxies to influence the state government,” Venugopal remarked.

The Rise of TVK and Voter Sentiment

Political analysts attribute Vijay’s success to a massive “surge” among younger voters and women, many of whom sought an alternative to the traditional Dravidian binary. The TVK’s platform, which combines social justice with a focus on a “drug-free state” and youth employment, resonated strongly with first-time voters.

In his first public statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) following the victory, Vijay expressed profound gratitude to his supporters. He acknowledged that while the party’s journey was met with initial criticism and significant obstacles, the people of Tamil Nadu supported them like “a mother.”

Next Steps in Government Formation

Following the internal meeting of his party’s newly elected MLAs in Panaiyur, Vijay was formally elected as the Legislature Party Leader. He is expected to meet with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Wednesday to stake his claim to form the government.

One minor logistical detail remains: Vijay was elected from two separate constituencies—Perambur and Tiruchi East. Under legislative rules, he must resign from one seat, which will temporarily reduce the TVK’s active voting strength to 107. However, with the likely support of the Congress and other secular allies, political observers anticipate that Vijay will be sworn in as the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu within the week, marking the beginning of a new era in the state’s political history.