Vijay's TVK Out To Occupy AIADMK Space, 3-Corner Fight In 2026: Congress Leader

Bengaluru:

Tamil actor Vijay's political party TVK has emerged as a significant political force, and the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections are developing into a challenging three-way contest, according to senior Congress leader and four-time MP Manickam Tagore in an exclusive interview with NDTV. This marks the first public acknowledgment of its kind, as the state's governing alliance has previously portrayed TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) as a peripheral political entity.

Currently, Vijay's presence poses more of a challenge to the AIADMK, Tagore explained, as the actor-turned-politician is rapidly occupying the opposition party's political space.

"Regarding the hypothetical questions about TVK, which has been established by Vijay, I believe that TVK is effectively claiming the opposition's territory," Tagore stated to NDTV.

The AIADMK is struggling due to BJP's remote control of its leadership. Additionally, the party's close relationship with the BJP is something its voter base would find difficult to accept, he added.

If this trajectory continues, next year's electoral battle will primarily be between the INDIA Alliance and TVK, as "the AIADMK and BJP are significantly losing ground in the perception battle," he remarked.

The positive aspect - at least for Congress - is that Vijay's presence might provide the Grand Old Party with more negotiating power in a state where it relinquished its dominant position about a decade ago.

While Congress has "consistently sacrificed" for coalition interests, the party, Tagore suggested, will aim for more than the 25 seats it contested in the previous election when 2026 arrives.

"In 2006, we contested 48 seats. Then in 2011, we increased to 63. In 2016, we reduced to 41. And in 2021, we accepted 25 seats. And we were successful. Our strike rate was very impressive," he said.

He then noted, "It's premature to discuss specific numbers... Congress workers at the grassroots always anticipate a favorable allocation."

The seat-sharing negotiations, he added, would commence in January-February.