Crack in NDA as GK Vasan quits, moves closer to DMK

In a significant jolt to Tamil Nadu's political landscape, G.K. Vasan's Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) (TMC(M)) abruptly exited the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday, June 14, 2026, citing a pressing need to revive its independent political identity. The move comes mere weeks after the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections saw the NDA-led front finish a distant third, and a new force, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), dramatically redraw the electoral map. The TMC(M) leader, G.K. Vasan, emphasized that prolonged dependence on alliance politics had 'pygmied' the party, weakening its grassroots structure and independent functioning, thus necessitating a strategic re-evaluation ahead of upcoming civic polls. This realignment is particularly poignant for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which recently saw the Congress party defect to the burgeoning TVK and also confirmed its exit from the national INDIA bloc. With the DMK now seeking to consolidate its Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) and Vasan's party explicitly keeping its options open for future electoral partnerships, the stage is set for a fresh calculus in the state's fiercely contested local body elections. While Vasan initially stated an independent path for 7-8 months, internal party sources suggest a potential alliance with the DMK for the upcoming civic polls and future Lok Sabha elections is actively being explored, especially given the vacuum left in the DMK-led front. The immediate focus remains on strengthening the TMC(M) at the grassroots level, but all eyes are on how this pivot will reshape the alliances for local body elections and the broader political narrative in a Tamil Nadu now grappling with the rise of the TVK as a formidable third pole. This shift will undeniably influence the strategies of all major parties as they brace for future electoral confrontations.