Vijay to make national foray as TVK is likely to replace estranged DMK in INDIA Bloc

With the DMK moving out of the INDIA Bloc, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is likely to replace the Dravidian major with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay expected to make his national foray by utilising this opportunity.

Having cemented the TVK’s alliance with the Congress by giving two ministerial berths in his cabinet to the national party, as well as a Rajya Sabha seat that Vijay could have retained for the TVK, he is interested in playing a part in national politics along with the Congress-led opposition combine.

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Earlier in the day, AICC in-charge of Tamil Nadu, Girish Chodankar, met Vijay at the secretariat, and the discussion is said to be around Vijay’s entry into the INDIA Bloc.

Though the exit of the DMK, which has 22 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 8 in the Rajya Sabha, could be a temporary setback, Vijay stepping into the INDIA Bloc would give it star power and newfound charisma. It would go a long way in strengthening Rahul Gandhi’s position, sources in the Congress explain. Further, the special bond between Rahul and Vijay will help transform the political landscape in the coming Lok Sabha election, it is pointed out.

Already, Vijay had altered the political map of Tamil Nadu, and his TVK aims to occupy the secular space, once claimed by the DMK. With the Congress on his side, he has the much-needed secular credentials to take on the BJP. For the DMK, the Congress had provided the secular cloak thus far.

Further, Vijay’s film charisma extends far beyond Tamil Nadu’s borders, with a huge fan base in neighbouring Kerala, to a certain extent in Andhra Pradesh and in Karnataka, which could be of great use to the Congress at the time of elections. From the late DMK patriarch M Karunandhi to AIADMK czarina Jayalalithaa and MK Stalin, everyone kept their cadre in good humour by maintaining that they play a pivotal role in shaping national politics. Can Vijay be any different? ask observers.