- TVK has 107 seats, it's government is supported by Congress and DMK allies
- Stalin urges DMK cadre to prepare for early elections and vows party's comeback
- Stalin accepts responsibility for defeat and calls for stronger social media presence
DMK chief M K Stalin believes that actor Vijay-led Tamil Nadu government "can fall anytime". The former chief minister has also urged the DMK cadre to be "prepared for early polls".
With its standalone tally of 107 seats and five of the ally Congress, TVK presently enjoys a majority with the support of four DMK allies with 2 seats each.
Chief Minister Joseph Vijay also has the support of 25 rebel AIADMK MLAs who voted for the government during the trust vote last week.
DMK sources say that there could be political instability if its allies VCK, CPI, CPM and IUML, who are supporting the government from outside decide to pull the plug or if the Tamil Nadu Speaker or courts ultimately disqualify the rebel AIADMK MLAs.
Stalin has told his district secretaries "the present government can fall anytime" and that the "party should be ready for polls anytime."
Recounting how DMK has bounced back from electoral setbacks in the past, the former chief minister told his party that they will be victorious again.
"The defeat is temporary. The present regime can fall anytime. Be ready. There are chances that Assembly elections may happen again alongwith the 2029 Lok Sabha polls. We shall make a comeback and win again," Stalin said.
On Monday, addressing the DMK cadre, Stalin asserted: "The sun (DMK symbol) will never set in Tamil Nadu". Taking personal responsibility for the defeat, the former chief minister, who even lost his Kolathur seat, said he would "accept accountability and responsibility for the failure".
He also urged the party to increase the social media presence, tacitly suggesting that Vijay's TVK was way ahead in this. "The politics we once spoke in tea shops must now be spoken on social media handles," Stalin said.
Stalin has also constituted a 36-member committee to analyse the reasons behind the electoral loss and gather direct feedback from the public. The move is seen as an attempt to rebuild grassroots confidence and identify where the party lost support.
TVK emerging as the single largest party has pushed both the Dravidian archrivals to the opposition, ending their 59-year-old dominance in Tamil Nadu's political landscape.
TVK sources, however, say they are unperturbed and that they are confident of numbers to last a full term.
(With inputs from Mithraa Anand)
