DMK ally meets MK Stalin amid row over video on power-sharing: ‘Ties are smooth’

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan on Monday met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and announced that the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) would participate in his party’s anti-liquor conference on October 2.
Following his meeting with Stalin, Thirumavalavan asserted that the ties between his party and the DMK remained to be strong and there was no rift at all
Thirumavalavan’s meeting, along with his party leaders, with Stalin at DMK headquarters ‘Anna Arivalayam’ comes in the wake of a controversy surrounding a viral video, sparking rumours of tension within the alliance between DMK and VCK.
The video, originally posted on Thirumavalavan’s X account, showed him discussing power-sharing and seat allocations, which led to widespread speculation about a potential rift between the two allies.
The clip was swiftly taken down, with Thirumavalavan initially attributing its removal to his administrative team, stating he would seek further clarification on the matter.
Yet, the video reappeared on his account, only to be deleted and reposted again, causing further intrigue.
After the meeting, Thirumavalavan spoke to reporters and dismissed the rumours of rift with the DMK. He clarified that the primary purpose of the meeting was to congratulate Stalin on his recent US tour and to invite him to participate in the VCK’s anti-liquor conference.
According to Thirumavalavan, Stalin accepted the invitation, indicating that senior DMK leaders RS Bharati and TKS Elangovan would represent the party at the event.
When questioned about the repeated uploading and deletion of the video on power-sharing, Thirumavalavan brushed it off as a “technical error” caused by administrative issues. “The text in the post was incorrect, which is why it was deleted and reposted. Anti-DMK and sangh parivar forces are amplifying this issue to create unnecessary tension,” he said.
When pressed on the matter of power-sharing, Thirumavalavan stood firm on his party’s stance and said, “We have been advocating for power-sharing since 1999, and we will continue to stand by it. When the time comes, we will discuss and decide on the matter”.