Ever since three rebel AIADMK legislators resigned and defected to Chief Minister Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the principal Opposition DMK and the AIADMK, along with others, have attacked the ruling party, accusing it of blatant horse trading to shore up its majority in the Assembly.
Rattled by persistent speculation that he was instrumental in the attempt to prop up a coalition government of traditional rivals, DMK and AIADMK, to deny the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) of Vijay, which emerged as the single largest party, a shot at power, superstar Rajinikanth on Sunday clarified that he was not so cheap to indulge in such a move.
Senior AIADMK leaders have begun mobilising support against EPS, with rebels exploring party rules to trigger a major leadership confrontation after the 2026 poll setback.
Aadhav Arjuna rejected Udhayanidhi Stalin’s interpretation of Sanatan Dharma, saying he does not understand the concept and clarifying his own secular stance.
The Tamil Nadu government cancelled the appointment of TVK spokesperson Rickey Vettrivel as OSD to Chief Minister Vijay within a day of issuing the order.
Vijay used his first major Assembly speech as chief minister to frame TVK as a secular, inclusive force as the party comfortably crossed the trust vote hurdle.
The AIADMK’s internal divide came into the open after CV Shanmugam announced support for the Vijay-led government and ruled out any alliance with the DMK.
The assembly elections of 2026 may eventually be remembered less for individual victories than for the collapse of political certainties that had governed West Bengal and Tamil Nadu for decades.
The latest boost to Vijay's party came after the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) formally extended support.
Vijay’s rapid rise has terrified Tamil Nadu’s traditional power centres, with both DMK and AIADMK fearing their decades-old vote banks may never return if TVK successfully forms a government.
