With Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam scurrying to find allies to form a government in Tamil Nadu, reports indicate that the two Dravidian arch-rivals may be exploring a possible partnership.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has opened backchannel talks with its long-time rival, the AIADMK, India Today reported citing sources on Wednesday.
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If true, the political landscape of the state will be shaken up further as both parties have been symbolic of decades-old political contest.
This comes after Vijay met with Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, the governor of Tamil Nadu, and staked claim to form the state government earlier in the day.
On May 7, Vijay is expected to take the oath of office as chief minister after TVK turned out to be the largest seat-winning party in the TN Assembly with 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly-still 10 short of the majority mark.
However, it failed to secure a simple majority. In a surprising move, the Congress party announced it will support TVK in forming the next government in the state.
The move came as a rude shock to the Congress's longtime ally, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which called the Congress's announcement on Wednesday a "backstab".
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Additionally, the AIADMK had already ruled out extending support to Vijay-led TVK, deepening the uncertainty around government formation.
AIADMK Deputy Coordinator K.P. Munusamy while dismissing the speculation of AIADMK extending its support to TVK, said, "Whatever the situation is, AIADMK will not support TVK."
The election outcome has also disrupted Tamil Nadu's long-standing bipolar political structure dominated by DMK and AIADMK.
The rise of TVK has introduced a new power centre, resulting in a three-cornered dynamic that is still finding its equilibrium. Amid the fractured mandate and shifting alliances, delays in government formation now seem increasingly likely.
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