Speaking with News18 Tamil Nadu, Thirumavalavan noted that these discussions arose when actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), faced challenges in achieving a majority, despite being the single-largest group in the Assembly.
According to Thirumavalavan, the initial discussions took place on May 7, when he and representatives from the Left parties were invited for a meeting with MK Stalin.
“On May 7, we received separate invitations indicating that CM Stalin wanted to meet with us,” Thirumavalavan shared, according to News18.
“During our meeting, he presented a proposal from the AIADMK for us to collaborate and make Edappadi K Palaniswami (commonly known as EPS) the chief minister. I expressed my concern that this would put DMK’s future in jeopardy. The Left parties echoed this sentiment,” he continued.
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This statement seems to validate ongoing speculations regarding intense backchannel negotiations between the DMK and AIADMK during the critical post-election phase.
‘I laughed it off’: VCK chief on CM proposal
Thirumavalavan also revealed that another proposal emerged the following day, positioning him as chief minister while EPS would assume the deputy chief minister role.
“On May 8, they introduced another proposal suggesting I should become CM and Palaniswami should step in as deputy CM,” he explained.
“I laughed it off. Such a scenario can never unfold in Tamil Nadu,” Thirumavalavan remarked, according to News18.
The VCK leader further claimed that attempts to sway him persisted even after his party had formally pledged support to TVK.
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“I was offered the chief minister role even after I pledged support to TVK,” he stated.
Ultimately, VCK backed Vijay’s party, which helped TVK surpass the majority threshold, allowing Vijay to be sworn in as chief minister.
AIADMK infighting and Rajinikanth rumours
These developments come against a backdrop of increasing discontent within the AIADMK. A faction that later supported the Vijay-led government during the trust vote has accused the EPS camp of being willing to align with the DMK merely to hinder Vijay’s political ascent.
Simultaneously, allies of Palaniswami allege that rebellious AIADMK lawmakers were promised ministerial roles in exchange for their support of TVK.
The situation also involved actor Rajinikanth, following rumors that suggested he had played an informal role in facilitating discussions between opposing factions.
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Rajinikanth dismissed these claims. “I’ve known Stalin for 35-40 years. I was saddened by his loss in Kolathur constituency. Is it even feasible to discuss this at such a peak of political tension?” he told reporters, according to News18.
