The Indian National Congress has announced its support to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam to form the next government in Tamil Nadu, following the Assembly election results that saw the Vijay-led party emerge as the single largest formation.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, May 6, AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu Girish Chodankar said that Vijay had formally sought the Congress party’s backing after the results. He said the electorate, particularly young voters, had delivered a “clear, strong and overwhelming verdict” in favour of a secular and welfare-orientated government grounded in constitutional principles.
Shortly after the announcement, Vijay was seen arriving at the TVK headquarters in Chennai, where he is scheduled to meet with Congress leaders.
Girish stated that the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and the Congress Legislature Party had decided to extend full support to the TVK to facilitate government formation, describing the move as a reflection of the party’s commitment to uphold the mandate. He emphasised that the Congress viewed it as its constitutional responsibility to support a government aligned with secular and progressive values.
The Congress, however, indicated that its support would come with conditions. The statement noted that the alliance must exclude “communal forces that do not believe in the Constitution of India”, underlining the party’s stance on maintaining a secular political framework.
Girish said the alliance would seek to revive the governance legacy of K Kamaraj while remaining rooted in the social justice principles of Periyar EV Ramasamy and the constitutional vision of BR Ambedkar. He added that the collaboration would be built on mutual respect and shared responsibility.
The Congress leader also indicated that the arrangement would not be limited to immediate government formation but would extend to future electoral engagements, including local body elections as well as Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha polls.
He further said that both Vijay and Rahul Gandhi were committed to respecting the verdict delivered by the people of Tamil Nadu and working together to fulfil public expectations, particularly those of younger voters.
The development comes after TVK secured 108 seats in the Assembly, falling short of a simple majority, while the Congress won five seats.
