Cash-box alliance: DMK mocks Vijay-led Tamil Nadu coalition as opportunistic
The DMK on Friday called Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay an "opportunist" and mocked the ruling TVK-led coalition, saying the alliance now named the Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance was in fact an "Opportunistic Cash-box Alliance".
In an editorial in its Tamil mouthpiece Murasoli, the party said Vijay had joined hands with the very parties he had earlier criticised.
The editorial said Vijay, who had once dismissed those parties as "and others" and described them as part of a "cash-box alliance", had now become one among the "and others". Referring to the leaders in the ruling bloc, it said: "look at their faces."
Murasoli said Vijay had now brought together the same parties he had earlier called "cash-box alliance parties" before the Assembly polls. It asked: "Going by Vijay's own words, should not they now be called the cash box alliance parties." It also said Vijay had once treated those parties as unworthy of mention and referred to them simply as "and others", but was now standing with them and showing a thumbs-up after bringing them together.
The DMK newspaper, in an editorial dated September 11, 2026, said the chief minister had become one of the "and others" by joining forces with the rest of them. It recalled Vijay's earlier remark: "If you just walk past the gates of Arivalayam, they will call those parties inside and hand them seats."
The paper said Vijay was now in the chief minister's chair with the support of the same parties and had posed with them outside the gates of the TVK headquarters at Panaiyur. It also recalled his earlier charge that the "Congress party has been sold out to the DMK" and asked what he had given in exchange to "buy" the Congress now.
Recalling Vijay's attacks on the DMK-led alliance during the election campaign, the editorial said he had described it as a broken glass glued back together and a torn piece of cloth that had been mended, while also questioning whether it was aimed at people's welfare.
It then said: "Look at the alliance he has formed today, it looks just like a stitched up piece of torn cloth. The faces of the five people looks just like a broken glass." The reference, it said, was to Vijay, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief B Manickam Tagore, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, IUML leader KM Khader Mohideen and MDMK leader Vaiko.
The DMK daily further said Vijay had not won the 118 seats needed to form a government and had to seek, in its words, "the mercy" of parties in the DMK-led alliance that he had once belittled. It said five Congress nominees, two from the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and two from the Indian Union Muslim League had won after contesting in the DMK alliance. It also said two MDMK candidates had won on the DMK's Rising Sun symbol.
"By casting his net wide, offering two minister posts to the Congress party, one minister post to VCK and one to the IUML, Vijay managed to hold on to his chair," the editorial alleged.
Murasoli also alleged that Vijay got the support of 25 AIADMK MLAs in the Assembly confidence vote by offering ministerial posts and board positions. After proving his majority, it claimed, he said they would not get ministerial positions. It further alleged that he then worked on a plan to make AIADMK MLAs resign, bring them into his party and have them face by-elections.
The editorial said Vaiko had publicly stated that Vijay had engaged in "horse-trading". It quoted Vaiko as saying before the media: "Chief Minister Vijay asked me to make two MDMK MLAs resign. I conveyed this to both of them, and neither of them agreed."
It said he repeated this at his party's general council meeting as well, and claimed both speeches were available on video. The paper also cited what it called another "confession statement" by Vaiko to his party MLAs, who were legally DMK legislators because they were elected on the Rising Sun symbol: "when chief minister Vijay himself has promised to make you win, why don't you just resign."
The DMK daily also referred to remarks by Thirumavalavan and quoted him as saying: "Why doesn't Vijay talk about the BJP? They are desperate to split us from the DMK alliance...Vijay wants to break our alliance...Vijay hasn't spoken about any welfare schemes for the people." It then said the same Thirumavalavan was now standing with Vijay.
Referring to the recent naming of the TVK-led bloc as the Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance and a photograph released by the ruling party showing the five leaders together with a thumbs-up sign, Murasoli said: "Opportunism is visible on every single face and all of them together have participated in the photo shoot." It said the alliance lacked a conscience and that it was therefore apt to call it an "Opportunistic Cash-box Alliance".
The paper added that it was only borrowing Vijay's own words and said: "Let there be no anger."- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 11, 2026 14:20 IST
