AIADMK rules out support for Vijay, says he lacks 'basic qualification'

AIADMK leader KP Anbalagan ruled out supporting actor Vijay's TVK, saying he lacks the 'basic qualification' to govern. He stated that cinema popularity is not enough and AIADMK will not back TVK under any circumstances.

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader KP Anbalagan on Thursday ruled out any possibility of supporting Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay in forming the government, asserting that the actor-turned-politician lacks the "basic qualification" and political strength required to lead the state.

'He is just a cinema actor'

Speaking to ANI, Anbalagan criticised Vijay's political ambitions, saying cinema popularity alone cannot be the basis for forming a government. "Why should we gather here to support Vijay? People like Vijay should not form a government here. There is a certain qualification required to form a government, but he does not even have the basic qualification. He is just a cinema actor. Using his fame from cinema, Vijay is trying to create an impression, but how many seats has he actually won here?" Anbalagan said.

AIADMK will not support TVK

He further stated that AIADMK would not extend support to TVK under any circumstances and alleged that some parties were supporting Vijay for political gains. "For that reason, the AIADMK cannot extend its support to Vijay's party. Those who support Vijay are people like Congress, who are driven by a desire for power. We will not support him... Due to the intense heat in Chennai, MLAs have said that they are staying in Puducherry. Around 40 MLAs are currently staying there. We will never support Vijay... AIADMK stands as a separate entity," he added.

'Party functions under a single leadership'

Commenting on the party's internal strength, Anbalagan asserted that AIADMK remains firmly united under the leadership of Edappadi K Palaniswami. "Under the leadership of Edappadi Palaniswami, the party functions under a single leadership. We have 48 MLAs elected in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry--47 in Tamil Nadu and 1 in Puducherry. All of them stand firmly behind Edappadi Palaniswami... Till the very end, we will not support Vijay," he told ANI.

Unified stance against alliance

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, AIADMK Deputy Coordinator KP Munusamy denied the alliance with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, asserting that the "party would not support TVK" chief Vijay in any situation. Speaking to reporters here, Munusamy said, "Whatever the situation is, AIADMK will not support TVK."

Tamil Nadu Assembly election results

TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections with 108 seats in the 234-member House, falling short of the majority mark by ten seats. With Vijay expected to vacate one of the two seats he won in the elections, the effective strength of TVK in the Assembly is likely to reduce to 107.

The party has, however, received support from five Congress MLAs. Congress, which contested the elections as part of the DMK-led alliance, has decided to extend support to TVK following the results.

TVK's performance in the Assembly elections marked a significant political debut for Vijay, with the party rapidly emerging as a major force in Tamil Nadu politics. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)