With the halfway mark reaching 118 seats, TVK is seeking 11 more seats from smaller parties and former allies of the DMK-led alliance.
Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlikar juggles a Shakespearean question every time actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay approaches him seeking to form the government. The two met three times in three days, with Vijay each time failing to conclusively show majority support.
Vijay’s Tamil Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly, but the actual tally came down after Vijay won from two constituencies and is being asked to vacate one seat. With the halfway mark reaching 118 seats, TVK is seeking 11 more seats from smaller parties and former allies of the DMK-led alliance.
Early reports indicated that TVK had crossed the halfway mark after receiving support from Left parties and indications of support from Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. But confusion erupted after the VCK stopped issuing a formal letter of support, while a parallel controversy erupted over an alleged letter of support from the Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam. AMMK president TTV Dhinakaran later accused TVK supporters of circulating a “fake” letter claiming his party’s support for Vijay and reiterated that his only MLA supports the AIADMK-led NDA alliance.
Sources indicated that the Governor was not ready to invite Vijay to form the government without written proof of support of at least 118 MLAs. Conflicting statements from potential allies, unclear messages of support, and competing claims from rival blocs have delayed the process.
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Congress supports Vijay, but only on one condition (5 seats)
Congress became the first major party to officially support TVK after separating from the DMK-led alliance. Congress’s support came on clear political conditions. The party said its support was conditional on TVK keeping “communal forces” out of the alliance – an indirect reference to the BJP and the NDA.
Tamil Nadu Congress president K Selvaperunthagai later revealed that TVK had offered the Congress two ministerial seats and one Rajya Sabha seat. The Congress also indicated that the alliance aims to continue in future local and parliamentary elections.
However, the five Congress MLAs alone were not enough to push Vijay above the majority mark.
CPI supports Vijay to form ‘stable government’ (two seats)
The Communist Party of India announced its support for Vijay, but described it as “conditional support” aimed at ensuring “stable, secular and democratic governance” in Tamil Nadu.
Communist Party of India State Minister M Veerapandian said the decision was taken to respect the mandate of the people and prevent political instability or president’s rule in the state. The party made clear that it would support the government from abroad and would not seek ministerial positions.
CPI(M) provides unconditional external support (2 seats)
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) officially announced its support for TVK to form the government and stressed that it would remain out of the Cabinet.
CPI(M) State Minister P Shanmugam said the Left parties intervened to avoid prolonged uncertainty and stop what he described as the BJP’s possible “backdoor entry” into Tamil Nadu politics.
The Marxist party also asserted that it would continue its ideological alignment with the DMK on issues related to state rights and federalism.
VCK support remains uncertain amid power-sharing demands (2 seats)
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi has emerged as the most important but uncertain player in the numbers game. While Left leaders have repeatedly claimed that the VCK will support TVK, no official letter from the party has been submitted to the governor as of Friday evening.
Then came a post late on Friday evening from the party’s official handle saying that they had sent a letter of support to Vijay. But the tweet was quickly deleted and the account suspended – in less than an hour.
VCK president Thol Thirumavavalavan has so far avoided making a formal announcement, but VCK deputy secretary-general Vanni Arasu has publicly called on the deputy prime minister and the cabinet to provide support.
The uncertainty surrounding the VCK’s position has become one of the biggest reasons behind the delay in forming the government.
IUML says yes, then backs down
The Indian Union Muslim League added to the confusion surrounding the formation of the government after initially indicating its support for the attempt to form a Vijay government before later publicly distancing itself from TVK.
Earlier on Friday, IUML’s statements indicating that two of its MLAs would support the Governor’s “initiatives towards government formation” were interpreted as indirect support for Vijay. Some Left leaders also claimed that the IUML had given letters of support to help TVK reach the majority mark.
However, later in the day, IUML leader AM Shahjahan vehemently denied extending support to TVK and dismissed reports of any letter of support as “rumours”.
“We have not supported anyone. We have not sent any message to anyone. These are all rumours. We are continuing the alliance under the leadership of the DMK,” Shahjahan told reporters.
The reversal dealt another blow to Vijay’s efforts to convince Governor Rajendra Arlikar that TVK had the numbers required to form the government.
AMMK supports AIADMK, accuses TVK of rigging (1 seat)
Strong opposition to Vijay’s efforts came from the Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam led by TTV Dhinakaran.
Dinakaran formally wrote to the Governor supporting Edappadi K Palaniswami as Chief Minister and urged that the AIADMK be invited to form the government.
He also accused TVK supporters of distributing a “fake” letter claiming AMMK’s support for Vijay and termed it “horse trading” and a “mockery of democracy”.
AMMK’s sole MLA remaining with the NDA bloc has given another setback to Vijay’s numbers.
DMK and AIADMK walk away amid speculation
Dravidian’s traditional rivals – the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam – did not support Vijay.
Speculation about a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK briefly intensified amid the pending judgement, but leaders from both camps privately rejected the idea as politically unsustainable.
Instead, the DMK, which won 59 seats, and the AIADMK, which won 47, watched the post-election negotiations unfold from the sidelines as they tried to protect their alliances.
The governor has not made the final call yet
Conflicting claims continue as to whether Vijay received support from 116, 117 or 118 MLAs. While TVK leaders expressed confidence that Vijay would finally take oath as chief minister on Saturday, Raj Bhavan sources indicated that the governor remained unconvinced by the numbers before him.
Until the official letters from all supporting parties are verified and the majority mark is clearly crossed, the Tamil Nadu government formation process is expected to remain in limbo.
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