Stalin's Toughest Call Yet? DMK Weighs AIADMK Request For Support In Tamil Nadu

Last Updated:May 08, 2026, 09:34 IST

Stalin reportedly told DMK MLAs that the AIADMK had reached out for support as Tamil Nadu’s fractured verdict pushes the state into political uncertainty.

Tamil Nadu’s post-election political landscape entered uncharted territory on Thursday, with the DMK leadership seriously weighing the possibility of extending outside support to its long-time rival AIADMK in order to prevent TVK chief C Joseph Vijay from becoming chief minister.

The development follows a fractured verdict in the 234-member Assembly, where TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats but fell short of the majority mark of 118. The DMK secured 59 seats, while the AIADMK won 47. Congress, which shifted support to TVK after the results, has five MLAs. However, TVK’s effective tally stands at 112 after accounting for the legal requirement for Vijay to resign from one of the two seats he contested and won.

Governor R V Arlekar on Thursday informed TVK leaders that the party had not yet demonstrated the majority support required to form the government. Raj Bhavan later said the governor had “explained that the requisite majority support in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, essential for forming the government, has not been established."

Against this backdrop, DMK chief MK Stalin informed MLAs during a legislature party meeting that the AIADMK had reached out seeking support to form the government and prevent Vijay from taking office, according to a report by Times of India. The legislators subsequently authorised Stalin to take a final call on the issue.

The political arithmetic has suddenly elevated smaller parties into kingmakers. The CPI, CPI(M) and VCK, which have two MLAs each, now hold the balance in the government formation exercise, with both the TVK and AIADMK camps attempting to secure their backing.

TOI reported that hours before the DMK legislature party meeting, Stalin held discussions with leaders of the VCK, CPI and CPM, during which the issue of AIADMK outreach also came up. The allies are expected to take a final position after internal consultations on Friday.

The AIADMK’s route to power appears dependent on a broader coalition arrangement. Without relying on the BJP’s lone MLA, the AIADMK would require the support of its allies PMK and AMMK, along with the DMK, IUML and the CPI-CPI(M)-VCK bloc. Such an arrangement would take the tally beyond the majority mark.

Asked about the possibility of the VCK backing a DMK-AIADMK understanding, a senior VCK leader told TOI: “When there is a threat in the name of TVK, why not the AIADMK and DMK join hands to provide a stable govt?"

Stalin, who had initially resisted the idea of backing the AIADMK, is learnt to have reconsidered the option following consultations with senior second-line party leaders. He later invited CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam, CPI state secretary M Veerapandian and VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan for discussions.

The DMK is not expected to join any such government directly, though allies may be free to take their own decision on participation. While the Communist parties sought time until their state committee meetings on Friday, Thirumavalavan reportedly indicated that the VCK would align with the Left parties’ stand.

At the legislature party meeting, the DMK also passed multiple resolutions describing the political situation as “critical and complex" because no party had secured a clear majority. One resolution stated that Tamil Nadu was “not ready for another election" and stressed that the objective was to ensure “a stable government".

The resolution further said there was a need to prevent “communal forces that could disturb Dravidian ideals from gaining a foothold" and argued that Tamil Nadu’s growth trajectory could continue only if the welfare schemes implemented during the DMK government’s tenure were not disrupted.

The meeting also saw the DMK sharpen its attack on Congress after the party moved towards the TVK camp. In one of the resolutions, the DMK accused Congress of “backstabbing and betrayal", alleging that despite being allotted a Rajya Sabha seat and 28 Assembly seats in the alliance, it shifted sides within days of the election results.

The resolutions additionally referred to developments in Puducherry, where DMK leaders alleged Congress candidates had contested in seats allotted to the DMK and failed to sincerely support the alliance during the campaign. The DMK further claimed Congress candidates did not even meet Stalin after the results despite his campaigning extensively for them.

Meanwhile, AIADMK legislators continued to remain stationed at a resort in Puducherry for the second consecutive day. The party’s allies — PMK, which won four seats, along with the BJP and AMMK, which secured one seat each — have so far stayed away from public political negotiations.

News politics Stalin's Toughest Call Yet? DMK Weighs AIADMK Request For Support In Tamil Nadu

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