Chennai: AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran on Sunday disclosed that AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and other party leaders explored the possibility of elevating VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan to the Chief Minister's post if actor-turned-politician Vijay fell short of forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to reporters, Dhinakaran explained that the contingency discussions took place after the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) struggled to secure the numbers required for a majority on its own. He clarified that the objective of the backup plan was not to block Vijay from forming a government, but rather to prevent party MLAs from being poached while rival factions weighed different possibilities.
Highlighting the underlying political calculations, Dhinakaran noted that DMK president MK Stalin had already indicated his party would not attempt to form a government, prompting discussions around an alternative arrangement led by the AIADMK. However, Left parties reportedly declined to support Palaniswami, maintaining that backing him would be equivalent to supporting the BJP.
Following the refusal from the Left, Dhinakaran stated that he and other leaders, including EPS, worked on efforts to position Thirumavalavan as Chief Minister. The AMMK leader added that he had also appealed directly to Vijay to extend support to an alternative government setup if TVK failed to reach the necessary majority threshold.
Reflecting on the tense political maneuvering during the week-long deadlock, Dhinakaran emphasized that the primary goal was to ensure legislative stability and prevent horse-trading. Despite emerging as the single-largest party, Vijay's TVK faced a difficult path to a majority before securing support from the VCK and the Indian Union Muslim League, ultimately clearing the 118-seat majority mark after multiple meetings with Governor Rajendra Arlekar and taking the oath of office.