While uncertainty continues in Tamil Nadu over who will form the next state government, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav took a veiled swipe at the Congress through a social media post. Sharing photos of himself with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh said, “We are not the ones who abandon each other in times of difficulty.”
The remark was seen as a reference to the Congress, which broke its long-standing alliance with the DMK after the Assembly elections and instead extended support to actor-turned-politician Vijay and his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The DMK has described the move as a betrayal, and relations between the two parties have since deteriorated sharply. Since the Assembly results on May 4 threw up a hung verdict, no party has yet managed to prove a majority.
On May 7, Governor Rajendra Arlekar said that Vijay had been unable to demonstrate majority support. Speculation over a potential alliance between the AIADMK and the DMK has further added to the uncertainty. Meanwhile, TVK and Congress cadre have been holding protest rallies in Chennai, demanding that Vijay be invited to form the government as the leader of the single-largest party.
The SP’s media wing later amplified Akhilesh’s post, stating, “Akhilesh Yadav ji maintains his relationships—whether in defeat or victory, crisis or joy—always extending a helping hand and standing by their side. This is the hallmark of a great leader.”