Actor-politician Joseph Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has emerged as the clear winner in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in a historic turn of events. Early counting trends on Monday showed TVK leading in a massive number of seats, far ahead of traditional Dravidian giants including Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
At one point, TVK was leading in over 170 constituencies, both DMK and AIADMK were reduced to fewer than 30 seats each. Even top DMK leaders, including Chief Minister M K Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin, were trailing in their Chennai constituencies.
Will TVK seek support from NDA to form the government?
With such strong numbers, the immediate question is whether TVK will need support from other parties to form the government—and if so, who it might align with. So far, TVK leaders have made it clear they intend to govern independently. During the campaign, Vijay described the election as a “democratic battle” and insisted that TVK “will never compromise our politics for anyone or anything.” On counting day, party spokesperson Felix Gerald reinforced this stance, saying: “DMK was running about in a dark room, now they know the reality, TVK will form govt on its own.”
Clear stand against BJP alliance
Speculation has been strongest around a possible tie-up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, TVK has repeatedly and firmly denied this.
The party had already rejected any alliance with the BJP ahead of the elections, despite reports of pressure. Reaffirming this, TVK Joint General Secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar said, “There’s no scope for an alliance with the NDA. We have already made it clear that the BJP is our ideological enemy.” He also questioned the practicality of such rumours, asking whether the BJP would ever accept Vijay as a chief ministerial candidate.
Internal pressures vs public stance
Regardless of the strong public position, there were internal discussions within TVK about the challenges of contesting alone. Reports suggest that during a March 13 meeting with district leaders, concerns were raised about the high cost of elections and lack of financially strong candidates in many constituencies.
Some leaders even suggested exploring alliances. A participant reportedly said, “In many constituencies, we simply don’t have people who can spend that kind of money.” Another revelation hinted that a former AIADMK minister had informally reached out regarding a possible tie-up, opening what one leader described as “a Pandora’s box of opinions,”.
What Khushbu Sundar said
Adding a personal dimension to the political debate, Tamil Nadu BJP vice president Khushbu Sundar commented on Vijay’s rise. She said, “That my brother has to decide — whether he wants to be with us or not,” when asked about a possible alliance.
“As his sister or akka, I have the greatest regard and affection for him. My best wishes are always with my younger brother, but my loyalty is with my party,” she added. Regardless of rumours, political pressure, and internal debate, TVK’s official stand remains unchanged. The party has ruled out alliances with both the BJP and other major players and is confident of forming the government on its own.