'Bid to prevent central rule, not validation of ideology': VCK will extend outside support to Vijay govt, continue in DMK alliance

CHENNAI: VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan threw, on Saturday, his party's weight behind actor-politician Vijay's govt, calling it "unconditional support" aimed at ensuring political stability and preventing President's rule in Tamil Nadu.

"We are extending support to TVK for two reasons. VCK should not be a factor hindering Vijay from becoming CM, and TN should not come under President's rule," Thirumavalavan said after handing over a support letter to TVK general secretary Aadhav Arjuna at VCK headquarters in Chennai.

VCK also said it would continue in the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, underlining a delicate balancing act by Thirumavalavan, once among Vijay's sharpest campaign critics.

Thirumavalavan also disclosed he had informed DMK chief MK Stalin before extending support. "He appreciated the decision. From the beginning, he made it clear he would not be an obstacle to Vijay becoming CM," he said.

Formed in Feb 2024, TVK made a dramatic electoral debut and emerged as a central force in TN's fractured mandate, pushing state politics into coalition arithmetic after decades of Dravidian bipolarity. VCK's decision gives Vijay crucial breathing room as TVK attempts to convert electoral momentum into stable governance in a state entering unfamiliar coalition terrain.

"While DMK worked for our candidates' victories, VCK brass has made a calculated, albeit difficult, decision to provide outside support while strictly opting out of the cabinet," VCK general secretary D Ravikumar said.

Ravikumar rejected criticism over delay in decision-making. "A choice with such a long-lasting impact on the state's political landscape needed deliberate thought," he said.

Party members said strong voices within VCK favoured joining the govt, but Thirumavalavan resisted, arguing cabinet berths should not come at the cost of political credibility. "For the sake of a cabinet berth, we should not lose credibility built over 30 years of hard work," a member quoted him as saying.

Ravikumar drew ideological red lines as well. "Our support is a functional necessity to prevent a constitutional vacuum, not a validation of ideology," he said.