Vijay gives Congress, Rahul new lease of life, jitters to rivals

The Congress has claimed that Instagram “blocked” Rahul Gandhi’s reel and photo post featuring him and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay due to the rules of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology — a charge government sources vehemently denied, saying they had nothing to do with the action and that the social media’s internal system mistakenly flagged the post.

Rahul Gandhi attended the swearing-in ceremony of Vijay, whose party, TVK, emerged as the single-largest party in the Assembly. According to reports, the photo and reels of the event garnered millions of views and likes, significantly outpacing similar posts by other leaders. According to social media users, the engagement was driven by the rare high-profile alliance between the Congress leader and the popular Tamil cinema star-turned-Chief Minister, providing something new, something fresh amid political fatigue.

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Notably even though the Congress is yet to announce its chief ministerial candidate in Kerala eight days after it won comfortably, the party moved swiftly in Tamil Nadu, the day after the May 4 results, Congress walked out of its two-decade-old alliance with the DMK and extended support to Vijay, reportedly without consulting M. K. Stalin.

Observers say that Congress’ alliance with Vijay’s TVK—which emerged as a major political force in Tamil Nadu, securing 108 seats in the 2026 Assembly elections—has far-reaching political implications. By quickly moving in with the TVK, the Congress not only secured space in a new, youth-oriented government, it also opened doors for future alignements. Besides, had they not moved quickly, rival All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) might have extended support to TVK, potentially giving the BJP political space in the state. Now, it is AIADMK which is in trouble with a potential break up looming large

“The partnership is an attempt by Rahul Gandhi to revitalise the Congress in a key southern state by leveraging Vijay’s popularity among youth and first-time voters. The alliance is expected to extend beyond the state government to local body, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha elections, potentially reshaping the political landscape,” they add.

Apparently, the Congress leader and Vijay have been “in touch” for quite some time. So, while the DMK described the shift as a “betrayal,” Congress leaders called it a strategic decision in which “other like-minded parties should also participate.” The Congress-TVK partnership can extend to other neighbouring states, Vijay is popular, they add.

Given the BJP’s long-held dream of ruling Tamil Nadu, it is but natural that party leaders are now accusing the Congress of “betraying” an old friend like the DMK. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday also launched a scathing attack on Congress, calling it a “parasitic party” that betrays allies at the first opportunity. “The Congress’s identity has now become one of a parasitic party. At the first opportunity, they betray their allies,” the PM said.