New Delhi/Chennai, May 6 -- The Congress on Tuesday decided to support the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Tamil Nadu in the interests of "protecting the Constitution" and secular values, people familiar with the matter said, even as the start-up party's winning candidates in Chennai elected founder, actor C Joseph Vijay, as their legislative party leader.

To be sure, the Congress' move could see upheaval in the INDIA bloc of opposition parties in Tamil Nadu and cause friction in the Congress' 22-year-old alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

TVK won 108 seats in the 234-member house and needs 10 more to cross the half-way mark. The Congress won five seats, and its support will take the TVK's tally to 113. The CPIM, too indicat...