Gurumurthy: Congress's Coalition Push Was TVK's "Rookie Mistake" in Tamil Nadu Drama

S Gurumurthy has claimed that actor-turned-politician Vijay and his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam made a crucial strategic mistake during the ongoing government formation exercise in Tamil Nadu, triggering political uncertainty and intense negotiations among alliance partners. Speaking to NDTV amid the continuing political drama, Gurumurthy alleged that Vijay received “bad advice” from alliance leaders and advisors while approaching the governor to stake a claim to form the government.

According to Gurumurthy, TVK was initially advised to approach the Governor as the single-largest party and seek an invitation to form the government independently. However, he alleged that pressure from the Congress party and other advisors led Vijay to instead present the claim as a coalition arrangement backed by supporting parties. Gurumurthy argued that this altered the constitutional and political dynamics of the process, making it more complicated for the governor to immediately accept the claim.

He further claimed that while Vijay’s covering letter reportedly mentioned support from 120 legislators, the annexed documents allegedly reflected support from only 116 MLAs in the 232-member Assembly after excluding BJP members. Gurumurthy described the situation as politically “unique” and said the governor was placed in a difficult position because the numbers suggested a tie rather than a clear majority. He also alleged that Congress insisted on presenting the arrangement as a coalition government instead of a TVK-led independent claim.

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The political commentator said several smaller parties and independents were now involved in intense negotiations, adding that some parties were publicly supporting TVK while hesitating to provide formal letters of backing. He pointed specifically to the Indian Union Muslim League and certain single-member parties, claiming divisions and bargaining were influencing the evolving situation. According to Gurumurthy, the current political developments reflected a period of instability and “haggling” among competing camps attempting to secure a workable majority.

Despite the uncertainty, Gurumurthy expressed confidence that Vijay still had a stronger chance of eventually becoming Chief Minister because major allies such as the Congress and CPM were unlikely to withdraw support publicly after backing him. At the same time, he suggested that parties aligned with the rival camp might still shift positions depending on political negotiations. He also claimed that the political situation in Tamil Nadu could become clearer within the next few days as parties finalise their stand.

Gurumurthy additionally commented on reported discussions involving M. K. Stalin and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regarding possible indirect arrangements with All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Calling the developments a major turning point in Tamil Nadu politics, he said Vijay’s emergence had disrupted the decades-long dominance of the state’s two major Dravidian parties. However, he also cautioned that TVK still appeared inexperienced in managing complex political negotiations despite dramatically reshaping the state’s political landscape.

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