Tamil Nadu Elections: Dissent brewing in AIADMK as 'upset' MLAs likely to meet CV Shanmugam amidst EPS-Vijay 'talks' buzz

Chennai: While actor-turned-politician Vijay's unprecedented victory in Tamil Nadu elections sent shockwaves to both 'Dravidian' parties, dissent seems to be brewing within the AIADMK, as upset MLAs are likely to arrive at senior party leader CV Shanmugam's office in Chennai's Pattinambakkam.

Reports suggest that there is a faction within the AIADMK that is inclined to support Vijay and his party by offering support to him. There have also been reports that these MLA's are not too happy with Edappaddi Palaniswami's leadership.

Also read: TVK chief Vijay to be sworn in as Tamil Nadu's new Chief Minister on May 7


TVK, which stands at 108 in the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly and is just 10 short of the 118 halfway majority mark, is more likely to ally with smaller parties like the Congress and the Left front.

TVK's Chief Vijay also sought time from Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar to meet him as part of the process for government formation, TVK sources said.

Earlier, Vijay also addressed the Tamil Nadu people in a X post for the first time after the election results came in. He recalled the mockery that had greeted TVK's launch while crediting the people of Tamil Nadu for the party's outstanding result in the polls.

Amidst all these developments, tensions rose within the Secular Progressive Alliance, as DMK called Congress "backstabber" amidst the rising speculations of the grand old party supporting TVK in Tamil Nadu.

DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, calling the decision "myopic" and accusing them of having "backstabbed" INDIA alliance partners.

Also read: Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections: DMK calls Congress' move to support TVK a 'backstab'

"I think this is a very short-sighted, myopic stand taken by the Congress, which they will regret. The 2029 big elections are coming, where we were very confident that we will be able to remove the BJP. But now, because of this decision by the Congress, it has made them a very unstable partner. The perception that is out in the entire country is that Congress cannot be trusted," he said.

Parallely, Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar accepted the resignation of the outgoing Chief Minister MK Stalin and his Council of Ministers. The Governor has requested Stalin to continue in office till the new government takes over.

A debutant party not only breaking the DMK-AIADMK duopoly but potentially leading government formation marks a profound shift in voter sentiment.

Regardless of how government formation plays out, the coming days will be decisive. Whether it is a TVK-Congress understanding, a broader coalition of smaller parties, or some combination of both, the era of TVK is here, but the shape of its government remains to be seen.