While triangular love stories continue to be hot picks in Kollywood with most of them becoming box office hits in the Tamil film industry, a political love triangle remains an intensely debated one in the political discourse of the Dravidian heartland and the dramatis personae are the principal opposition AIADMK and the Congress with actor Vijay of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) being wooed by the two.
Vijay’s preference seems to be the Congress, which could bolster the TVK’s secular credentials and the national party walking out of the DMK alliance would be a masterstroke, according to party sources and analysts. But the Bihar results have cast a shadow over this engagement, though it has not snapped altogether.
Despite TVK projecting Vijay as the chief ministerial candidate and positioning himself as the pivotal force against the ruling DMK besides declaring the DMK as the fledgling party’s political adversary and ‘fascist and communal’ BJP as the ideological enemy, the AIADMK, in the NDA camp, continues to entertain hopes of a change in the TVK’s approach to alliance for the 2026 assembly election. Even after the TVK reiterated that it would have not had any truck with parties aligned with the BJP, the AIADMK hasn’t given up its hope.
The Congress, licking its wounds suffered at the Bihar elections, is not prepared to annoy either the alliance’s big brother DMK or the TVK, which could be a potential ally. “Alliance decisions are decided by the national leadership,” is the oft-repeated stand of not only party leaders in Tamil Nadu, but also of Manickam Tagore, who is a close aide of Rahul Gandhi and the party’s whip in the Lok Sabha.
Vijay’s announcement on power sharing in government has traction within a section of the party in the state. “For, since 1967, the party has remained out of power, playing second fiddle to either the DMK or the AIADMK. Some legislators like CLP leader Rajesh Kumar have openly demanded that the party should have a share in power,” said an analyst.
Another way the Congress could use the TVK as a bargaining chip to secure more seats from the DMK, reason some analysts. “More than that, preventing the TVK from falling into the AIADMK-BJP camp is of great importance for the Congress’ containment policy,” it is pointed out.
The TVK too is playing it safe. More than a month after the Karur tragedy, TVK general secretary refuted the reports that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi or anyone from the national capital had spoken to Vijay. That the TVK has taken such a long time to deny this is indicative of the party losing its patience.