Tamil Nadu Election Results 2026: Vijay's TVK Falls Short of Majority, What Are his Options

As per trends at 6 PM, actor-turned-politician Vijay's TVK is likely to fall short of a majority in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, making it a smashing debut for the party. It can be compard to other famous first time wins such as MG Ramachandran's win in 1977 in Tamil Nadu soon after forming the AIADMK, NT Rama Rao winning Andhra Pradesh in 1983, the Asom Gana Parishad forming the government in Assam in 1985 and the Aam Aadmi Party's debut election 2013. However, trends at 6 PM indicate that Vijay could fall a few seats short of the half-way mark of 118 in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. So what options does Vijay have?Both the DMK and AIADMK realise that their survival lies in occupying the Opposition space, so they are unlikely to support Vijay. It would mean conceding their space in the state. In the end, Vijay may have to rely on a combination of smaller regional parties and one of the two national parties, Congress or BJP. 'Huge Missed Opportunity...': Congress Leader on Pre-Poll Alliance With TVKA section of the Congress wanted to dump the DMK and go with Vijay but they were vetoed by a few senior Congress leaders. Party strategist Praveen Chakravarty criticised the party for "missing this opportunity" while speaking to Dekoder. Vijay's father SA Chandrasekhar made a statement inviting the Congress for an alliance when the trends become clear. Rahul Gandhi congratulated Vijay on his win on Monday evening. While the Congress' Tamil Nadu unit may be open for an alliance, it may make matters tricky for the party at the Centre. It could potentially mean losing the support of the DMK's 23 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 8 in the Rajya Sabha, who contribute a significantly to the INDIA bloc's Parliamentary strength.The PMK, which is leading in five seats, could be one option. Led by Anbumani Ramadoss, the party is presently with the NDA, along with the AIADMK and the BJP. Other options include the CPI, CPM and IUML who are leading on two seats each. None of these parties are likely to have a problem supporting Vijay from outside. Then there are the DMDK, VCK and AMMK who are leading in one seat each. The VCK was extremely critical of Vijay in the run-up to the polls and it is not clear whether they will be open to supporting him. The BJP on its own may not be in a position to help Vijay as it won only 1 seat. Even if it coordinates with the PMK and AMMK, both NDA partners, Vijay would still need the support of at least one among the Congress, Left, IUML or VCK. These are all parties ideologically opposed to the BJP so it is unlikely they would join any alliance that includes the saffron party. Another way out for Vijay would be if there are defections, especially from smaller parties. It is possible that many leaders were in touch with the TVK before the elections, but didn't join as they were not sure of the party's prospects. A major question is which national alliance does Vijay want to join. Even if he avoids the Congress directly, bringing on board the IUML, CPI-M and CPI would mean joining the anti-BJP camp at the national level. The BJP, PMK and AMMK put together won't be sufficient to take Vijay over the half-way mark, unless there's a tacit deal with the AIADMK. Therefore joining the NDA will be difficult. Tamil Nadu being an industrialised state with a good revenue base, is not in need of Central funds. Therefore, the compulsion to join NDA isn't there. The only leverage that the BJP would have is the threat of hostility of Vijay openly aligns with the Congress. The best case for the BJP would be if Vijay continues as a non-aligned party like the AIADMK from 2011 to 2016. Politics of 'Anna': Understanding TVK as an Extension of Vijay’s Film Universe

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Tamil Nadu Results: Vijay Falls Short of Majority, What Are TVK's Options?

The way the numbers are stacking up, Vijay's TVK may have to wean away smaller allies from DMK and AIADMK.

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Topics: Tamil Nadu Elections Tamil Nadu Politics Vijay