DMK, VCK Trade Sharp Barbs Over TVK Alliance Shift
Political war erupts in Tamil Nadu after VCK joins Vijay-led government
- DMK and VCK exchange poetic attacks on social media
- TVK defends new ally after A Raja’s controversial remarks
- Row triggered after VCK joined Vijay government with cabinet berths
- Political tensions rise after collapse of DMK-VCK alliance
GG News Bureau
Chennai, 22nd May: A fresh political confrontation erupted in Tamil Nadu on Friday after leaders of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi exchanged sharp public attacks over the latter joining Chief Minister Joseph Vijay’s government.
The controversy began after DMK MP A Raja posted a metaphorical message on X referring to a “crooked coconut tree”, a classical Tamil literary expression often used to describe someone benefiting from one side while supporting another.
The remarks were widely interpreted as criticism of the VCK for leaving the DMK-led alliance and supporting Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government after the Assembly elections.
Translated from Tamil, Raja’s post questioned what political term should describe a tree that bends away from the land where it was planted to offer fruit elsewhere.
In another post, Raja invoked Dravidian ideologue Periyar and said the fight for political change would continue despite setbacks.
The DMK leader also reportedly shared another controversial post, later deleted, comparing the political shift to marital betrayal.
The VCK hit back strongly, with party leader S S Balaji defending the rise of parties representing oppressed communities.
In a poetic counter-post, Balaji accused opponents of spreading slander out of helplessness and warned that attempts to suppress alternative voices would only intensify political resistance.
The ruling TVK also entered the confrontation, issuing a lengthy statement condemning Raja’s remarks.
The party said the comments crossed “the boundaries of ethical political decorum” and accused the DMK of reacting arrogantly whenever parties committed to social justice asserted independent political positions.
The TVK alleged that the DMK feared the emergence of an “inclusive political philosophy of power-sharing” that could challenge its “family-centric political monopoly”.
The political row comes weeks after the Tamil Nadu Assembly election delivered a historic result, with Vijay’s TVK defeating both the DMK and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to end the decades-long dominance of Dravidian heavyweights.
The TVK won 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly but fell short of the majority mark and subsequently sought support from smaller parties.
While the Indian National Congress extended support with five seats, negotiations with the VCK, Left parties and the Indian Union Muslim League continued for several days.
Initially expected to offer only outside support, the VCK later agreed to formally join the Vijay-led government and secure cabinet positions, a development that reportedly angered the DMK leadership.
The latest exchange has intensified tensions within Tamil Nadu’s opposition space and signalled a widening political battle between the DMK and parties aligning with Vijay’s emerging coalition.
