DMK Drags VCK Up A ‘Crooked Coconut Tree’, Vijay’s TVK Rushes To Ally’s Rescue

DMK Drags VCK Up A ‘Crooked Coconut Tree’, Vijay’s TVK Rushes To Ally’s Rescue Published By, Last Updated: May 22, 2026, 13:14 IST War of words: Tamil Nadu politics saw a poetic feud between DMK, its former ally VCK, and the newly formed ruling party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on social media Rapid Read (From left) DMK’s Stalin; Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay with VCK president Thol. Thirumavalavan. (File/PTI) A spat between old allies and a new partner rushing to defence — Tamil Nadu politics saw a poetic feud between Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), its former ally Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the newly formed ruling party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on social media. The friction stems from the recent election where actor-politician Vijay’s TVK broke decades of bipartisan Dravidian control. As TVK secured 108 seats (falling just short of the 118 majority mark), the VCK and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) left the DMK-led alliance post-poll to support Vijay, securing positions in his new cabinet. The DMK’s ‘Crooked Coconut Tree’ Jibe Senior DMK Leader and MP A. Raja sparked the row via a post on X (formerly Twitter). He leveraged a classical Tamil literary metaphor known as mutta thengu (or mudhathengu) to attack the VCK’s loyalty. In classical literature, it refers to a crooked coconut tree planted in one’s own garden that bends over the fence to drop its fruits/water into a neighbor’s yard. It is traditionally used to describe opportunistic or ungrateful individuals. என் வீட்டுத் தோட்டத்துத்தென்னைகூனி வளைந்துஎதிர் வீட்டிற்கு இளநீர் தந்தால் இலக்கியத்தில்அதற்குப் பெயர்"முடத்தெங்கு"!அரசியலில் என்ன பெயர் சூட்டலாம்?வாழ்க தமிழ்! A RAJA (@dmk_raja) May 22, 2026 Raja targeted the VCK for using the DMK’s backing to win its legislative seats, only to immediately pivot and offer its “sweet water" to Vijay’s TVK. Raja wrote, “If the coconut tree in my home garden bends over and offers tender water to the opposite house, in literature that would be named ‘muttatthengu’! What name should we give it in politics?" The VCK’s Reply The VCK did not take the “undeserving" or unfaithful label lightly, replying to the DMK in the same poetic and literary tone. VCK leaders fired back with counter-verses, arguing that their political realignment was about ensuring a truly representative coalition government rather than a single-party monopoly. They implied that a tree belongs to the soil of the public, and branching out to build a democratic power-sharing structure with the TVK serves the people of Tamil Nadu better than remaining bound to the DMK. The TVK’s Fierce Counter-Attack Chief Minister Vijay’s party, the TVK, immediately stepped in with a sharp political defense of its new ally, shifting the argument from poetry to aggressive political rhetoric. The TVK statement slammed A. Raja’s remarks, calling his metaphorical jibe the absolute peak of political indecency and vulgarity. The TVK IT Wing and leadership mocked the DMK, stating that the ruling party’s loss of power has caused them to lose their composure and “spout incoherent nonsense". TVK stated that the DMK’s panic stems from their inability to digest the fact that Tamil Nadu has moved past their political monopoly, solidifying the new TVK-led post-poll coalition. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: May 22, 2026, 12:55 IST News india DMK Drags VCK Up A ‘Crooked Coconut Tree’, Vijay’s TVK Rushes To Ally’s Rescue Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...