‘Congress stabbed DMK in the back’: PM Modi targets Congress; congratulates Vijay

Bengaluru/Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Congress over its shifting political alliances in Tamil Nadu, accusing the party of betraying its long-time ally, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), even as he congratulated C Joseph Vijay on taking oath as the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Addressing an event in Bengaluru, Modi said, “...Just look at the situation in Tamil Nadu right now. For twenty-five to thirty years, the Congress shared a close relationship with the DMK. Time and again, the alliance with the DMK pulled the Congress out of crises; indeed, the government it led for ten years before 2014 survived largely because of the DMK.”

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“Yet, the very DMK that consistently worked for the betterment of the Congress was betrayed the moment the political winds shifted. Driven by its lust for power, the power-hungry Congress stabbed the DMK in the back at the very first opportunity. Now, Congress requires yet another party, one on whose back it can ride, to remain politically relevant...” the Prime Minister added.

The remarks came as Vijay, founder of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu following the party’s remarkable debut electoral performance.

Despite his criticism of Congress, Modi extended wishes to the new Chief Minister in a post on X.

“Congratulations to Thiru C. Joseph Vijay on taking oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. Best wishes for his tenure ahead. The Central Government will keep working with the Tamil Nadu Government to improve the lives of people,” the Prime Minister wrote.

Vijay took oath at a grand ceremony held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. The oath of office was administered by Governor Rajendra Arlekar in the presence of political leaders, film personalities and thousands of supporters.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, attended the ceremony along with Vijay’s parents, filmmaker S A Chandrasekhar and Sobha Chandrasekhar, besides actor Trisha Krishnan.

Alongside Vijay, nine ministers were sworn into the maiden TVK cabinet, including N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, KA Sengottaiyan, KG Arunraj, P Venkataramanan, R Nirmalkumar, Rajmohan, TK Prabhu and S Keerthana.

Ahead of the ceremony, Vijay personally welcomed Governor Arlekar at the venue and introduced him to the ministers-designate.

The 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election produced a historic verdict, with TVK winning 108 seats in its maiden electoral contest and ending the decades-long dominance of the DMK and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

Although TVK fell short of the majority mark on its own, the party secured support from Congress, CPI, CPM, VCK and IUML, enabling Vijay to form the government.

Popularly known as ‘Thalapathy’, Vijay’s transition from cinema superstar to Chief Minister has drawn comparisons with actor-politicians such as M G Ramachandran and Vijayakanth.

Political observers say Vijay’s rise represents a major shift in Tamil Nadu politics, particularly because he has become the first leader outside the DMK-AIADMK formations to head the state government since 1967.

Though TVK was formally launched only in 2024, Vijay had long cultivated a political image through social work and films addressing corruption, drug abuse and social issues. Speculation about his political entry had persisted for more than a decade before his formal plunge into electoral politics.

In the Assembly elections, Vijay contested and won from both Perambur and Trichy East constituencies and is expected to vacate one of the seats in the coming days.