Chennai (Gurpreet Singh): Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay met with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Lok Bhavan on Wednesday to formally stake his claim to form the next government in Tamil Nadu. This high-profile meeting followed a seismic shift in the state’s political landscape, as the Congress party announced it was severing its long-standing ties with the DMK to support the actor-turned-politician. Vijay presented the Governor with a list of Congress legislators who have pledged their support, marking a significant challenge to the decades-long bipolar dominance of the DMK and AIADMK. While the TVK emerged as the single largest party in the recently concluded assembly elections, the path to a formal swearing-in remains clouded by procedural delays and the delicate mathematics of a floor test.
The TVK secured 108 of the 234 seats in the Legislative Assembly, placing it ten seats short of the majority mark required to govern. Even with the addition of the five seats held by the Congress, the alliance currently sits at a tally of 112. This calculation accounts for the fact that Vijay, who won in both the Perambur and Trichy East constituencies, must resign from one seat, effectively lowering the party’s individual count to 107 and the house majority requirement to 117. Sources within Lok Bhavan suggest that Governor Arlekar is meticulously reviewing the claim and has yet to issue a formal invitation for the formation of a government, as he seeks further verification regarding the alliance’s ability to command a majority.
The delay at Lok Bhavan has drawn sharp criticism from Congress leaders, including Lok Sabha MP Jothimani, who asserted that the majority should be proven on the floor of the Legislative Assembly rather than behind the doors of the Governor’s office. She called on the BJP to stop influencing state politics through the office of the Governor and urged an immediate invitation for Vijay to form the administration. Meanwhile, the TVK is intensifying its efforts to secure additional support from other constituents of the former DMK-led alliance, including the VCK, the Left parties, and the IUML. While these parties have yet to provide positive signals, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan indicated that a final decision would be reached after internal party consultations on May 7.
The DMK has reacted with indignation to the Congress party’s decision, with spokesperson Saravanan Anadurai describing the realignment as a backstabbing of the people’s mandate. In response, Congress leadership in New Delhi defended the move as a democratic right, noting that the alliance with the TVK is intended to ensure shared responsibility and stable governance for the future of Tamil Nadu. AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar clarified that the Congress would not merely support the government from the outside but would be an active participant in the cabinet. As political maneuvering continues, TVK legislators have been moved to a resort in Mamallapuram to prevent poaching, while the party remains hopeful for an oath-taking ceremony at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in the coming days.
