Tamil Nadu Power Battle Peaks: Congress MLAs Shifted To Hyderabad Amid Poaching Fears, Vijay Seals TVK MLAs Inside HQ, AMMK Backs EPS For CM

New Delhi: The political drama in Tamil Nadu deepened on Saturday as intense lobbying, alliance negotiations and allegations of poaching gripped the state following the fractured Assembly verdict.

In the latest developments, AIADMK leaders were seen arriving in Chennai from Puducherry amid hectic political activity, while AMMK formally urged Governor Rajendra Arlekar to invite AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) to form the government.

Adding to the high-stakes political manoeuvring, Congress reportedly moved its five MLAs to Hyderabad with the assistance of Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy in a bid to keep them “safe from poaching” as rival camps scrambled for numbers.

Reports also indicated that Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLAs have been instructed to remain inside the party headquarters and avoid speaking to outsiders until the leadership finalises its next move.

Meanwhile, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) is expected to soon announce whether it will officially extend support to TVK. The Communist parties, however, have continued backing Vijay’s camp, alleging that the DMK was attempting to indirectly help AIADMK stake claim to power.

The CPI and CPI(M) reportedly accused the DMK of trying to facilitate an AIADMK takeover, prompting Left parties to stand firmly behind TVK in the evolving post-poll scenario.

The latest twists come a day after AMMK General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran personally met Governor Rajendra Arlekar at Lok Bhavan and submitted a letter backing EPS for the Chief Minister’s post.

Dhinakaran claimed a “forged” letter had surfaced showing AMMK support for Vijay’s TVK and described it as a case of “horse trading” and “mockery of democracy.”

Speaking to the media after meeting the Governor, Dhinakaran said AMMK’s lone MLA-elect Kamaraj S remained committed to the NDA and AIADMK alliance.

“I am supporting AIADMK. I have submitted this letter in support of Edappadi Palaniswami to form the government. Our MLA Kamaraj has also signed it. When I saw on TV that our party had supported Vijay, I was shocked,” Dhinakaran said.

He further urged the Governor to investigate the alleged forged communication and reiterated that EPS remained the alliance’s chief ministerial face. Earlier reports had suggested that TVK was inching closer to the majority mark after securing support from sections of opposition parties in the aftermath of the fractured mandate.

TVK had emerged as the single-largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly, falling short of the 118-seat majority mark. The Congress with five MLAs, along with support from Left parties and possible backing from VCK, had significantly strengthened Vijay’s position.

TVK MLA Marie Wilson had earlier expressed confidence that Vijay would become the next Chief Minister, stating that a formal announcement on government formation would be made soon. Vijay will meet VCK leader Thirumavalavan at VCK office to seek support for two MLAs to back his party.

The political uncertainty has now triggered an intense battle for alliances and numbers, with both the AIADMK-led NDA bloc and Vijay’s TVK camp racing to secure the support needed to form the next government in Tamil Nadu.

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