'If Congress had aligned with the TVK before the election, we would have won almost a two-thirds majority.'
The first party to extend support to the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam after the TVK was elected the single largest party in the 2026 assembly election was the Congress with five elected representatives.
The CPI, CPI-M, VCK and IUML extended support after days of suspense.
On Sunday, May 10, 2026, the TVK with the support of all these parties formed the government in Tamil Nadu with C Joseph Vijay as chief minister.
After the swearing in ceremony, Vijay thanked quite a few people, including someone who he described as a friend -- Congress leader Praveen Chakravarthy.
In this interview with Rediff's Shobha Warrier, Praveen Chakravarthy reveals the talks he initiated with Vijay before and after the elections.
"The DMK, by all attempts to ally with the AIADMK has shown that they are probably not as ideologically strong as they are portrayed to be," says Mr Chakravarthy in the concluding segment of a must-read interview.
Key Points
- 'We were taken aback that the DMK could go to the extent of aligning with the AIADMK!'
- 'It clearly showed that not letting the TVK come to power was more important for the DMK leadership than its ideological position.'
- 'Not one person dissented. Absolute 100% unanimity that we should go with the TVK. That is why we were able to move fast.'
Did Rahul Gandhi immediately agree to the request?
Not immediately. He said, okay, we will consider it.
Then, there was a Congress process. Because of the results, the Delhi leadership felt that they made an error in judgment, and the state unit was correct. That they were wrong in overruling the state unit in the pre-poll alliance decision.
So, this time they decided to let the state unit make the decision about a post-poll alliance.
The state unit was given full authority to decide whatever they wanted about a post-poll alliance.
At the same time, we also started hearing about the DMK's covert attempts to ally with the AIADMK and prevent the secular force and the people's mandate of TVK from forming the government.
We were taken aback that the DMK could go to the extent of aligning with the AIADMK!
Now it's quite well established because Communist leader M A Baby has said it, the VCK leader has said it, the AIADMK leader has said it, and many media have reported it.
So it's true. Now we know that. At that time we had only heard of it.
Was it a shock to hear about such a move?
It was a surprise for us that how far they could go.
It clearly showed that not letting the TVK come to power was more important for the DMK leadership than its ideological position.
The DMK called the Congress 'backstabber', a very, very, strong word to use...
Like I said, the cadre has always wanted this alliance before the election itself.
So for us, it was a continuation of the talks and stance we had taken before the election itself.
We made a mistake before the election in going with the DMK. We should have gone with the TVK.
But after the election, a new opportunity emerged to realign with the TVK. None of us expected it, but it came.
There was absolute unanimity in the Tamil Nadu state Congress unit. A political affairs committee meeting was called. The Congress Legislature Party meeting was called.
Not one person dissented. Absolute 100% unanimity that we should go with the TVK.
That is why we were able to move fast.
Will this alliance continue in the next Lok Sabha election?
This is the Congress party, and we don't make decisions just for one event.
That is why we have very clearly said, we wanted a secular progressive alliance and a partner.
If anything, the TVK has proved that they are.
The DMK, by all these attempts to ally with the AIADMK, has shown that they are probably not as ideologically strong as they are portrayed to be.
The Congress joined an alliance with the TVK. After that, Vijay had to go three times with letters of support to meet the governor.
Was it a difficult time not just for the TVK but for the Congress too?
The Congress is a 150 year old party. We have seen through a lot of these things.
Yes, the governor was clearly a little too hasty in sending the chief minister-designate back twice. It was very clear that the majority had to be proven on the floor of the House and not on the lawns of Raj Bhavan or Lok Bhavan.
That was perhaps an error by the governor. But it's okay. We have moved past all that.
Reports say all five Congress MLAs want ministerial berths.
No. We are very clear. All these discussions have happened before.
We will be part of the government. We have a very, very, cordial relationship and we have discussed these terms with the TVK before.
Yes, we will be part of the government.
What is your equation with Vijay at the personal level?
Well, the chief minister was kind enough to call me a friend and thank me. So, I think it's fair to say that I enjoy a good personal rapport with the chief minister.
Have you been friends before?
No. I did not know Mr Vijay until the alliance talks started about a year ago.
How was he in the negotiation talks? Was he open to suggestions and a good listener?
He is an extremely good listener, and a very shy speaker even in private.
Most important, he has proved where it needs to be proved, that is in the people's court.
For a three-year-old party to win in such a way!
Not one person, not one of you in the media believed that this could happen. That alone shows his capability.
I still have no doubt in my mind that if the Congress had aligned with the TVK before the election, we would have won almost a two-thirds majority.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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