In his very arrival, C. Joseph Vijay wrought change on Tamil Nadu’s polity—in a tense few days marked by both sparks of confrontation and gestures of rapprochement. That duality was guaranteed by the very nature of his victory. A euphoric one, but at 108 seats, his Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) was 10 short of majority. He could no longer be the Outsider to the political system. He needed its support. The ensuing chain of events threatened to strain harmony across the board. Each party that came forward to back him had to endure discord to do so.
