G.K. Vasan, president of the Tamil Nadu Congress (Moopanar), has stated that Tamil Nadu lost out on several Central government schemes because the DMK treated the ruling BJP as an “enemy.” He expressed confidence in the AIADMK-led NDA alliance, which includes his party, as the winning front for the upcoming Assembly elections. Vasan believes the DMK and actor C.Joseph Vijay’s TVK party will contest for second place.
In 2016, Vasan’s TMC(M) party was part of a third front but faced challenges with symbol allocation. They chose “Coconut Grove” but failed to win. In 2019, they joined the NDA and contested on the “Auto” symbol in one Lok Sabha seat. By 2021, they switched to the AIADMK’s “Two Leaves” symbol after securing six seats. Now, in 2026, as part of the BJP-led NDA with three seats, they are contesting under the “Lotus” symbol due to issues with their own symbol.
Vasan explained that his candidates remain TMC(M) members, even when contesting on another party’s symbol, and must follow the ruling party’s whip. He emphasized that this is standard practice under Election Commission rules.
Facing tough constituencies with sitting ministers and a minister’s son, Vasan believes anti-incumbency against DMK leaders will benefit his candidates. He rejects the idea of framing the election as “Tamil Nadu vs New Delhi,” instead focusing on development through collaboration between Central and State governments.
Vasan noted that the DMK’s opposition to BJP schemes has angered voters, leading to missed opportunities for progress. Unlike his father, who opposed BJP, Vasan supports Modi’s leadership, seeing it as a positive shift in India’s political landscape.
While TMC(M) has struggled to win seats since reviving in 1996, Vasan remains hopeful about the upcoming election, calling the NDA-led alliance a winning front. He views actor Vijay’s TVK entry as a minor threat and is focused on securing first place.
Vasan concluded that his priority is to grow his party and secure more Assembly seats, not holding onto a Rajya Sabha seat.