Chennai: Tamil Nadu politics plunged deeper into uncertainty on Friday as Congress shifted its MLAs to Bengaluru amid fears of political poaching during the intense battle over government formation led by actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
The dramatic move came after Congress broke its long-standing alliance with the DMK and extended support to Vijay’s party in a bid to help TVK cross the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly. The Congress leadership reportedly decided to move legislators outside the state to prevent any last-minute attempts to influence or split the party during the high-stakes negotiations.
TVK had emerged as the single largest party in the Assembly elections with 108 seats but initially fell short of the required 118-seat majority. Vijay later secured support from Congress and several smaller parties, pushing the alliance past the magic number. Reports now suggest the TVK-led bloc has the backing of nearly 120 MLAs.
However, uncertainty still surrounded the position of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), whose leadership was expected to take a final decision after internal consultations. Earlier reports indicated that the party was discussing the offer of joining the Vijay-led coalition while also coordinating with Left allies CPI and CPM.