Congress MP Says TVK Can Join INDIA Bloc Only After Winning Parliamentary Seats
Congress leader Manickam Tagore said on Sunday that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) could be invited to join the opposition INDIA bloc once it secures representation in Parliament, asserting that the alliance is essentially a coalition of parties with MPs.
Speaking at a press conference in Chennai, Tagore was responding to a question on whether Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s party was part of the INDIA bloc. He stated that the TVK currently has no MPs and therefore cannot be invited to join the alliance, but indicated that the party would be considered once it wins parliamentary seats.
"The TVK currently has no MPs. When the party wins parliamentary seats, we will ask it to join the INDIA bloc. We cannot invite a party without MPs to become part of the alliance. Once it has MPs, we will certainly consider including it," Tagore said.
The remarks come amid a political backdrop in Tamil Nadu, where the TVK emerged as the largest party in the recent Assembly election after securing 106 seats.
Congress Support and Alleged BJP Maneuvers
Tagore also recalled the political developments following the election, claiming that Vijay’s first call after the results was to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, seeking support to form the government and become Chief Minister. He added that the Congress was the first party to submit a letter extending support to the TVK government.
"Every minister in the present government is aware of this fact. The government and its ministers initially received the support of the Congress," he said.
Tagore further alleged that the Congress intervention had prevented the BJP from engineering an alternative government in the state. Without Congress support, he claimed, Union Home Minister Amit Shah would have attempted to destabilize the TVK and install AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami as Chief Minister.
"Otherwise, Amit Shah would have finished the TVK’s political story by now. The party could have been split, and Palaniswami made Chief Minister. Everyone in the TVK understands the circumstances under which the government was formed," he said.
"Fan-Club Mode" Criticism
Tagore also addressed recent calls from some TVK leaders and ministers, including M. Sarathkumar and Aadhav Arjuna, who have publicly backed Vijay for the Prime Minister role. Reacting to these "Vijay-for-PM" proposals, Tagore accused the leaders of "being in fan-club mode," suggesting they were treating Vijay more like a superstar than a political leader.
"Many people in the TVK are still operating in fan club mode, treating Vijay more like a superstar than a political leader," he said, adding that this mindset cannot be changed by the Congress.
Tagore contrasted the focus of the two parties, implying that the Congress and TVK are currently in different "modes" — with the TVK concentrating on Vijay and Tamil Nadu politics, while the Congress is focused on the broader national opposition battle against the BJP.
He specifically mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, saying the INDIA bloc is fighting against what it sees as the BJP’s attempts to weaken democracy and divide the opposition. Tagore also said the bloc is opposing a possible delimitation exercise that could benefit the BJP politically by changing the balance of representation between states.
On Vijay’s limited public comments on national politics and alliance-related matters, Tagore said the Chief Minister prefers to speak only when required and will speak clearly when needed.
The Congress MP left the door open for the TVK’s eventual entry into the INDIA alliance, reiterating that if the party wins an MP seat, it could become part of the bloc. His technical argument remains that the TVK currently has no MPs, so it cannot formally join the alliance until it gains parliamentary representation.