In the history of Tamil Nadu politics, May 10, 2026, marks a significant milestone. For the first time since 1967, neither of the two dominant Dravidian parties—the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK)—was able to form a government. Over the years, several prominent Congress leaders, including K. Kamaraj and Rajiv Gandhi, attempted to unseat the Dravidian parties, but their efforts ultimately failed. This led to the widespread belief that only one of the Dravidian parties could govern Tamil Nadu at any given time. Therefore, actor Vijay’s TVK party’s success in the inaugural elections will undoubtedly be a moment of great celebration. Additionally, for the past 59 years, both the DMK and ADMK have successfully maintained a political landscape that has excluded the idea of power-sharing in governance. As a result, other political parties in the state have struggled to gain significant ground.

However, there was a significant desire among members of various political parties to be included in the state government. Even before the internal seat-sharing discussions within the DMK alliance for the 2026 assembly elections, the Congress party and others expressed their desire to be part of the government. However, the DMK leadership successfully suppressed these demands.

Nature has compelled politics in Tamil Nadu to enter a new era of coalition governance through Vijay’s TVK, something that has not been feasible for the past six decades. To strengthen relationships among coalition partners and ensure effective power-sharing and mutual understanding, several well-considered suggestions are presented below. 

(a) It is crucial to appoint conveners at the state, revenue district, and block levels to enhance the coalition system and resolve grievances among alliance partners. Currently, no political leaders in Tamil Nadu have experience leading a power-sharing coalition. This situation arises because the two major Dravidian parties have held power for the past six decades without sharing it with their alliance partners. Once elections are over, these alliance partners are excluded from governance. Few political parties play a constructive role in the opposition, and some, including the Congress Party, do not. As a result, political parties are losing ground to others that advocate for people’s rights. 

The State Convenor has a crucial responsibility to hold regular monthly meetings with the political parties in government and other parties supporting from outside. Important discussions, including policy-level issues, differing opinions, and Central-State relations, must be addressed at the state level. Similarly, district and block conveners are responsible for managing issues and differences among alliance partners within their areas.

The State Convenor must be a senior and acceptable leader from the ruling party or an alliance partner.........

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