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Boost for Congress! Vijay allots Tamil Nadu's lone Rajya Sabha seat to key ally

by India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms 04 Jun 2026, 06:55 am

Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has allotted the state's lone vacant Rajya Sabha seat to the Congress, a key ally in the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government, media reports said.

The seat fell vacant after AIADMK leader C.V. Shanmugam resigned following his election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Significant Move for Alliance Politics

The decision is being viewed as a major political gesture towards the Congress, which played a crucial role in helping Vijay form the government after the Assembly elections.

TVK had fallen short of the majority mark on its own and relied on support from other parties, including the Congress, to stake claim to power.

Speculation Ends After High-Level Meeting

The announcement came shortly after Congress' Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar met Vijay, fuelling speculation that the grand old party would be offered the Rajya Sabha berth.

Congress leaders welcomed the move, describing it as a "generous" decision that would strengthen the party's voice in the Upper House of Parliament.

Vijay's TVK Reshapes Tamil Nadu Politics

In its electoral debut, Vijay's TVK emerged as the single largest force by winning 108 seats, dramatically disrupting the decades-old dominance of the DMK and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu politics.

However, the party fell short of the majority mark of 118 seats and required additional support to form the government.

How Vijay Formed the Government

Vijay eventually secured power with the backing of several parties, including:

• Indian National Congress
• Communist Party of India (CPI)
• Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI-M]
• Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK)
• Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)

The support from these allies helped TVK cross the majority threshold in a closely fought Assembly election, paving the way for Vijay to become Chief Minister.