MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Wednesday said his party and the Dravidar Kazhagam would support the ruling DMK like “two shoulders” and would work within its strength to ensure that the DMK-led alliance won 200 seats in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Talking to reporters he said actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) was unlikely to pose any challenge to the DMK and only the outcome of the election would prove how the new party had affected the prospects of other parties.

“The period of MGR (former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran) was totally different. When he launched the AIADMK, MGR mandrams were converted into party organisations. Such a situation does not prevail now,” he said during his customary New Year interaction with the media in Chennai.

When asked why he should wax eloquent on the achievement of the DMK instead of highlighting his party’s work, Mr Vaiko said he was also part of the DMK for 29 years before he was expelled from the party (in 1994).

To another question about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s willingness to lead a front against the BJP at the national level, Mr Vaiko said he would prefer Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the job. “He has acceptance all over the country. Opposition parties have a lot of complaints against the government of Ms Banerjee in West Bengal,” he said.

Mr Vaiko also said the country was facing a grave danger under the BJP rule which had the agenda of annihilating other languages and nationalities. “The BJP and the Hindutva forces are planning to impose a presidential form of government so that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could rule India like the Presidents of the US and Russia,” he claimed.

Mr Vaiko questioned the idea of one nation-one election, wondering whether the Election Commission would repeat the election process if the Union government fell six months after it assumed office, or two state governments lost a majority in the Assembly.

He said the BJP wanted to introduce the Bill for implementing the common civil code in the last session of Parliament. It may do it in the next session. “The idea is to create Hindu rashtra and even marriages conducted under Muslim and Christian laws would be nullified if there is a common civil code. Self-respect marriage also faces a threat,” he claimed.

Asked why his party failed to benefit from his relentless fights for the rights of Tamil Nadu and protests against Sterlite company, Neutrino Project and for safeguarding the Mullaperiyar Dam, Mr Vaiko felt the MDMK could not capitalise his efforts because it lacked a strong media platform to carry the message to the people.