Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay celebrated his 52nd birthday on Monday, eliciting birthday wishes from across the political spectrum, including one from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who pledged to stand by the actor-turned-politician who is the grand old party’s newest ally.
“Wishing the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru Joseph Vijay, a very happy birthday. I wish you good health and success in all your endeavours. I stand with you in standing up for the rights, dignity and aspirations of the Tamil people, and in working together for the progress of the state,” Rahul Gandhi posted on X.
The tribute comes just three days after Vijay congratulated Gandhi on his 56th birthday, underscoring the growing public cordiality between the two leaders, even as the image of the broader Tamil Nadu alliance continues to change following last month’s assembly election results.
Main opposition party DMK chief and former CM MK Stalin also received Vijay, though his message was brief: “I wish you strength to continue serving the public with joy and good health.”
MK Stalin also wished Rahul Gandhi on his birthday last week, receiving a warm response that fueled speculation on whether the Congress-led India bloc will be able to weather the volatility after the Congress-Vijay axis came at the expense of the long-standing relationship between the Congress and the DMK.
What does it mean for the India bloc
After the elections, the Congress extended its support to Vijay’s TVK, which emerged as the single largest party, rather than stick with the losing DMK. The move immediately sparked sharp reactions from within the DMK. Party leader Udhyanidhi Stalin, MK Stalin’s son and widely seen as his political heir, alleged that the Congress had “betrayed” the DMK. In its official mouthpiece Murasoli, the DMK said that while the Congress seeks the support of its allies during national parliamentary elections, it often works to undermine them during state-level elections.
The DMK also later missed a meeting of the India Bloc in New Delhi and sought separate seats away from the opposition bloc in Parliament.
This comes as the BJP-led NDA is increasing its numbers in the House as a result of splits in regional parties, including Mamata Banerjee’s Bangladesh TMC and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.
The immediate follow-up could be for the Modi regime to obtain two-thirds power to pass a delimitation bill – to redraw electoral district numbers and boundaries – which it failed to do in April, citing as a prerequisite for granting women a 33% quota.
Parties in Tamil Nadu and other southern states have historically opposed such delimitation, as they fear losing more seats to India’s more populous northern state. In fact, the DMK supported an alternative bill to give quota to women in the existing power of the Lok Sabha and state legislatures instead of implementing delimitation citing only this.
Vijay, who has no members of Parliament, has shown an affinity towards the Congress since before he started his party, reiterating his commitment to a “secular government” and distancing himself from the Hindutva-led Bharatiya Janata Party.
The India bloc has such a state-centre divide too, like the Left being part of the bloc at the Center but fighting the Congress in the southern state of Kerala.
“Brothers” and “Saving the Constitution”
So, for Tamil Nadu, birthday exchanges could become a general barometer of how relations are shifting, with the 2029 Lok Sabha elections also approaching.
When Rahul Gandhi turned 56 on June 19, Vijay addressed him as “my dear brother” and wished him “good health and long life”.
Stalin, who in 2025 described Gandhi as “a brother in ideals, bound not by blood, but by thought, vision, and purpose,” this year sent a short, formal letter to Gandhi.
“Birthday congratulations to Honorable Leader of Opposition Thiru Rahul Gandhi. Wishing you good health and happiness,” he wrote.
In his response to Stalin, Rahul Gandhi sought to keep the channels open: “Our common resolve to defend the idea of India, our Constitution, and federalism will continue to guide us. This is the struggle for the soul of our democracy, and we will fight it together until we are victorious.”
For Vijay, the Congress leader’s response was also constitutional in its wording: “We are united in our commitment to the Constitution and the strengthening of our democracy – and we will continue to work together for the well-being, dignity and aspirations of the people of Tamil Nadu.”
Modi, AIADMK leader sends his wishes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to send his wishes to Vijay.
BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran posted a picture of Vijay and wished him long life. Edappadi K Palaniswami of AIADMK, the BJP’s biggest ally in the state, also wished Vijay a “long life and good health in the service of people”.
Makkal Needhi Maiam president and MP Kamal Haasan, a fellow politician and ally of the opposition DMK, also extended his greetings.
Chandrasekar Joseph Vijay, born on June 22, 1974, to film director and director Chandrasekar and Shobha, celebrates his first birthday as an impresario. The popular actor, called “Thalapathi” (leader in Tamil) by fans, launched the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) party two years ago and led the party to 107 seats in the 234-member assembly – short of a simple majority of 118 seats. He subsequently formed a coalition government with the support of the Congress, the Left parties, the VCK, and the International Muslim Workers’ Union, all of whom were allies of the DMK.
Vijay also received the wishes of Ministers Aadhav Arjuna and Keerthana and dozens of TVK leaders and cadres.
