Palaniswami Calls TVK Govt ‘Dummy Horse Regime’, Alleges Horse-Trading

Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday launched a sharp political attack on the TVK government led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, describing it as a “dummy horse regime that could only last for some time” and accusing it of involvement in horse-trading and political inducements .

In a strongly worded statement, the AIADMK general secretary alleged that the ruling dispensation, which projected itself as “pure sakthi,” had turned into an “evil sakthi” after coming to power. He accused the government of engaging in “political horse-trading” and attempting to lure AIADMK office-bearers with offers of posts, including ministerial positions , to weaken the opposition party.

Palaniswami further claimed that the TVK government was dependent on support from multiple parties and post-poll alliances, which he said exposed its instability and lack of a clear mandate . He alleged that after the Assembly election verdict, TVK aligned with several parties and “fell at the feet” of allies of the DMK to sustain its rule, which he described as turning it into a “dummy horse” government .

Referring to the election outcome, he said the results reflected a fractured mandate in the 234-member Assembly , where no single party secured a clear majority. He noted that TVK won 108 seats, DMK secured 59 seats, and AIADMK won 47 seats. He also pointed out that TVK was supported by 25 AIADMK rebels and smaller parties, including Congress (5), VCK, Left parties, and IUML (2 each), which helped it form the government.

Palaniswami also dismissed claims that AIADMK might align with its rival DMK to form the government, calling such reports false and politically motivated . He stressed that AIADMK was founded in firm opposition to DMK and remains committed to that ideological position.

He said the AIADMK accepted its electoral setback “without being demoralised,” adding that the party has historically converted defeats into victories and continues to remain politically resilient.

Invoking the legacy of party founder M G Ramachandran, Palaniswami said the organisation follows a long-standing principle of acting against “betrayers” while also allowing reconciliation if mistakes are corrected.

He concluded that political “storms are temporary” and expressed confidence that AIADMK would withstand current challenges, urging party workers not to fall prey to rival strategies.