Calling the Congress move “dreadful” and driven by “low political opportunism,” Aiyar said the decision violated Mahatma Gandhi’s 1925 principle that self-rule must be founded on morality. Speaking to PTI, the former Union minister said politics based on expediency could not become the foundation for the party’s future.
The Congress had decided to back the TVK despite contesting against Vijay’s party in the assembly elections. According to Aiyar, the party assumed smaller regional allies would also align with the TVK and help Vijay secure a majority in the assembly. However, he initially argued that Congress failed to ensure numerical stability for the TVK leadership.
“We are left absolutely in limbo. We have not only committed the immorality of joining Vijay but also committed the political stupidity of not ensuring that he has a majority. So, there is a hung assembly, and we are hanging in the air. Is this either good sense or good politics or good morality? What criterion is satisfied by this kind of politics of expediency? I do not think we can move forward with this kind of politics,” Aiyar said.
The political situation later shifted after smaller parties agreed to support Vijay, helping the TVK move past the majority mark in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
In a separate article published in Hindu Tamil, Aiyar intensified his criticism of the Congress leadership. He stated that the Congress secured only five seats in the election entirely because of its long-standing alliance with the DMK and not because of its independent political strength.
Aiyar also raised concerns over the Congress party’s long-term political credibility in Tamil Nadu. He questioned whom the party would ally with in future elections if Vijay succeeded in building a stable government over the coming years.
Warning of larger political consequences, Aiyar said that if the developments eventually opened a “backdoor entry” for the Bharatiya Janata Party into the political structure of Dravidian Tamil Nadu, it would become “the worst own goal in the history of political football.” He further questioned whether any political ally would trust the Congress again after such a move.
The Congress decision to abandon its alliance with the DMK and offer conditional support to the TVK triggered sharp reactions across the state’s political spectrum. The DMK described the Congress move as an act of “backstabbing.”
The TVK emerged as the single largest political force in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, winning 108 seats. Vijay himself secured victories from two constituencies. The DMK suffered a major electoral setback and was reduced to 59 seats, while the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam managed to win only 47 seats.
Although the halfway mark in the 234-member assembly stood at 118, the TVK initially fell short despite securing Congress support. Vijay subsequently reached out to the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, the Communist Party of India, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). According to sources, these parties also agreed to support the TVK, enabling Vijay to secure a working majority.
The dramatic political realignment has reshaped Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, ending the DMK’s rule while exposing deep divisions within the Congress over its decision to align with Vijay’s rapidly rising political force.
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