As news flashed across mobile phones that C Joseph Vijay’s TVK had finally secured the support of the two Left parties — with VCK leaders indicating they would follow the Communist parties’ lead — the atmosphere outside the party headquarters in Panaiyur erupted.
Days of anxious waiting gave way to celebration, as supporters who had been closely tracking the tense political manoeuvring over the past two days finally released their emotions in a wave of collective catharsis.
Among them was a group of four women from Idukki district. They had been camping on the pavement for three days, battling viral fever and Chennai’s oppressive humidity.
“We haven’t slept. We’ve been sitting here with a fever just to know whether this was the end of the road or a new beginning,” one of the women told PTI Videos, her voice breaking with emotion.
“When we heard the word ‘support’, we didn’t cheer — we just went to the temple and cried. God has finally seen the injustice we faced.”
The mood on the ground reflected the deep intertwining of cinema and politics in Tamil Nadu.
For many older cadres, Vijay’s political rise evoked memories of the era of ‘Puratchi Thalaivar’ M G Ramachandran.
“I have seen MGR. I have seen J Jayalalithaa. This seat belonged to them, and after them no one was worthy enough to sit there until today,” shouted an elderly supporter, Joseph, as he struggled through the swelling crowd.
“The ‘Kalla Kootani’ (secret alliance) between the two giants has been broken. We have ended ‘B-Team’ politics once and for all.”
Younger supporters danced in celebration, describing the moment as an escape from the grip of traditional party structures.
“We were being suppressed, held back by the old guard. M K Stalin thought he could control the youth, but we have broken the gates open,” said a college student who had travelled from Madurai.
The election has proved bruising for the established political heavyweights. The DMK, led by Stalin, saw its dominance in Chennai collapse, with TVK winning 14 of the city’s 16 Assembly seats.
In one of the election’s biggest upsets, Stalin’s own stronghold of Kolathur was wrested away by TVK candidate V S Babu.
Despite emerging as the single largest force, TVK has spent the past three days attempting to secure enough support to form the government, even as the Congress, with five seats, signalled its willingness to back the party in order to “respect the mandate” and keep the BJP out of power.
Vijay is scheduled to meet Governor Rajendra Arlekar later in the day to formally stake claim to form the government. This will be his third meeting with the Governor since TVK secured 108 seats in the Assembly elections.
In a significant boost to its efforts, TVK on Friday secured the backing of the two Left parties, bringing the alliance closer to the halfway mark of 118 legislators needed for a simple majority.
Political analysts say that while the numbers now appear to favour Vijay, managing a coalition that includes ideologically diverse allies such as the Congress and the Left parties will be his first major test as a political leader.
For now, however, the moment belongs to “Thalapathy” fans, as the state prepares to witness a new chapter in its political history.
(With inputs from PTI)