VCK seeks to block TVK’s possible PMK alliance bid

KUALA LUMPUR, 13 OCTOBER 2026 —

Tamil Nadu’s Political Chess: VCK Threatens to Quit Alliance if PMK Joins TVK, Sparking Caste and Coalition Tensions

The move comes as the TVK, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, seeks to expand its coalition ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, while the PMK, which stayed neutral in recent bypolls, has rejected any shift from the NDA, deepening political fractures in Tamil Nadu.

The VCK’s stance underscores the high-stakes game of caste arithmetic and ideological alliances shaping Tamil Nadu’s political landscape. With the DMK trailing behind the AIADMK-BJP-led NDA in opinion polls, smaller parties like the VCK, PMK, and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) hold disproportionate influence, capable of tilting the balance in a state where caste-based vote banks remain the cornerstone of electoral strategy.

The VCK’s threat exposes the fragility of the TVK’s coalition, which already includes controversial figures linked to the RSS, further complicating its secularist image.

The VCK’s warning was delivered by its president, Thol. Thirumavalavan, at the party’s "Tamil Nationalist Uprising" conference in Tindivanam on Sunday, where he directly targeted the PMK, calling its inclusion in any alliance "unacceptable". "We will not be part of any alliance that has the PMK or the BJP," declared Vanni Arasu, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Social Justice, setting a firm red line.

Thirumavalavan’s rhetoric went further, dismissing the PMK’s electoral influence and suggesting that its Vanniyar community supporters would never back a coalition led by the VCK.

"The votes of the PMK supporters will never go to the alliance which has the VCK in it," he asserted, framing the PMK as an ideological adversary rather than a potential partner. He also criticized the DMK, which finished second in the recent Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls, for lacking a "vaathiyaar" (master)—a leader capable of strategic self-criticism and alliance-building to secure victory. "Is it enough to get second place?

You need more votes to win elections… for that, you need alliance partners," he said, implicitly urging the DMK to prioritize power-sharing demands over ideological purity.

The PMK’s response was swift and defiant. Its spokesperson, K. Balu, rejected the VCK’s accusations, calling Thirumavalavan’s obsession with the PMK a political tactic. "Mr. Thirumavalavan has made it a habit of being obsessed with the PMK," Balu said, defending the party’s NDA allegiance. "Our president, Anbumani Ramadoss, has consistently pursued constructive politics of development and social justice.

The PMK’s contribution cannot be compared with that of the VCK." He accused the VCK of distracting from governance by fixating on the PMK, while the PMK remains committed to progressive politics and its NDA partnership.

Thirumavalavan, however, doubled down on his demands, framing the VCK’s inclusion in the TVK-led government as a consequence of timing rather than choice. "The share in power fell into the lap of the VCK because of time," he said, reiterating a long-standing demand he has pushed for 25 years.

"We contested the 2016 Assembly elections with ‘share in power’ as our slogan," he recalled, blaming the DMK for failing to sustain alliances that could have delivered victory. "Had the DMK considered the Congress’s demand for power-sharing, the alliance would have won," he argued, positioning the VCK as the only party capable of forcing the DMK into a more inclusive coalition.

The Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), another key player in Tamil Nadu’s political calculus, entered the fray, with its spokesperson, Fathima Farhana S, accusing the VCK of hypocrisy. "Mr. Thirumavalavan is speaking with malice against the NTK," she said, challenging his claims about the party’s stance on caste. "When have we supported caste forces?

He is speaking against the NTK just because he has organized a Tamil nationalist meeting." She highlighted the VCK’s own alliances, pointing to CTR Nirmal Kumar and MLA Jagannath Misra, both linked to the RSS, as evidence of the party’s contradictions.

The bypoll results in Madurantakam and Dharapuram—where the TVK won decisively despite the PMK’s neutral stance—have intensified speculation about the PMK’s future moves. The party’s decision to stay out of the bypolls was seen as a strategic maneuver, keeping its options open ahead of the 2026 elections. However, the VCK’s ultimatum now forces the PMK to clarify its position, with Anbumani Ramadoss having repeatedly ruled out joining the TVK government.

As the TVK government navigates its first full term, the VCK’s threat exposes the fragility of its coalition, particularly if the PMK’s four MLAs—a critical vote bank—were to defect or align with the NDA. The DMK’s weakened position, trailing in polls, adds urgency to the TVK’s need for stable allies, but the VCK’s hardline stance suggests it will prioritize ideological purity over political expediency.

With less than a year until the next Assembly elections, the battle for caste alliances and ideological dominance in Tamil Nadu is far from over. The VCK’s ultimatum has drawn a clear line in the sand: either the PMK stays with the NDA, or the TVK risks losing a key ally. The DMK’s response—and whether it will heed the VCK’s call for power-sharing—will further determine the state’s political trajectory.

For now, the PMK’s defiance and the VCK’s unyielding stance signal that Tamil Nadu’s coalition politics remain as volatile as ever.