Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Congress has solidified its alliance with the DMK. Talks of partnering with actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam were averted. This decision is viewed as a key political move.
With the Tamil Nadu Assembly election just weeks away, the seat-sharing agreement between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Congress is set to be finalized. The national party's high command has authorized senior leader P. Chidambaram to seal the pact.
This development ends a dangerous temptation within sections of the Congress to ally with actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) as an alternative to its longstanding ties with the DMK. On September 27, 2025, a crowd crush at a TVK rally in Karur killed 41 people, many from poor and marginalized backgrounds. Organizers expected 10,000 attendees but over 25,000 showed up, with Vijay's arrival delayed by nearly seven hours and no basic provisions provided.
Instead of accepting responsibility, TVK spread conspiracy theories on social media without evidence. Vijay himself made these claims and stated during January 2026 questioning that he was "not responsible" for the stampede. The Madras High Court formed a Special Investigation Team, but TVK obtained a Supreme Court order to transfer the probe to the CBI.
By staying the course, Congress has preserved the ideological coherence of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which includes mutual accountability among Congress, the Left, VCK, and DMK. This alliance is a critical link in the national opposition to the BJP's centralizing project. Tamil Nadu's political culture, rooted in social justice and secularism, contrasts with communal politics elsewhere in India.