Vijay is CM, or is he? Tamil Nadu's Game of Thrones

Tamil Nadu's post-poll drama swung wildly through Friday, leaving Vijay tantalisingly close to the CM post — yet still just short of certainty. At one point, he appeared set for a smooth swearing-in, only for last-minute gaps in support to pull the brakes.

In Short

• Vijay stakes claim with 116 signatures, still short of majority mark
• VCK keeps TVK on edge, delays final decision on backing Vijay
• TTV Dhinakaran meets Governor, pushes for AIADMK-led govt

Tamil Nadu saw a day of breathtaking political twists on Friday as support lines shifted by the hour, alliance partners sent mixed signals, and actor-politician Vijay oscillated between being on the verge of power and slipping short of the majority mark. What began as a breakthrough after support from Congress and the Left soon descended into uncertainty after the IUML distanced itself from TVK and the VCK held back formal backing.

The suspense deepened with reports of missing MLAs, frantic negotiations, power-sharing demands, and last-minute manoeuvring involving the AIADMK camp. Even as Vijay met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to stake claim, questions remained over whether he actually had the numbers to take oath as Chief Minister.

HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED IN TAMIL NADU:

1. Magic number mystery: Vijay’s TVK appeared to edge close to power after securing support from Congress (5 MLAs), CPI (2) and CPI(M) (2), taking its tally to 116 in the 234-member Assembly. But despite public claims that the majority mark had effectively been crossed with outside support, Vijay reportedly met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar with signatures of only 116 MLAs — still two short of the required 118.
2. VCK’s shifting signals: The VCK initially gave strong indications that it would support a Vijay-led government and even held a high-level online committee meeting to discuss the matter. But by evening, the party released a statement saying “conflicting reports” in the media had created confusion and announced that chief Thol Thirumavalavan would officially declare the party’s stand only on Saturday morning.
3. ‘Missing’ kingmaker drama: As the numbers game intensified, TVK leaders allegedly spent nearly two hours unsuccessfully trying to contact VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan. Sources said the party desperately needed VCK’s two signatures to cross the majority mark before the Governor, triggering frantic behind-the-scenes negotiations late into the night.
4. Deputy CM bargaining: The uncertainty around VCK support quickly turned into a power-sharing battle, with sources claiming the party demanded the Deputy Chief Minister’s post for Thirumavalavan in exchange for backing Vijay. TVK, however, was reportedly willing to offer only the Urban Affairs portfolio, leading to further deadlock over the final deal.
5. IUML U-turn confusion: Early reports suggested the IUML could extend support to TVK, potentially easing Vijay’s path to power. However, the party later publicly clarified that it would remain firmly within the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance. “We were with DMK yesterday, are with it today, and will remain with it tomorrow,” the party said, dealing a blow to TVK’s calculations.
6. Resort politics returns: The tense political atmosphere also sparked fears of poaching and instability. Sources claimed four Congress MLAs had quietly left for Hyderabad, reviving memories of “resort politics” in southern states. Separately, AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran alleged that his party MLA Kamaraj from Mannargudi had gone missing amid the government formation drama.
7. TVK vs Dhinakaran: Things turned a little more awry when Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) chief TTV Dhinakaran accused Vijay’s TVK of using a “forged” support letter, carrying the signature of Kamaraj, and asserting claim to form government. However, the Vijay-led party returned the favour by sharing a purported video showing Kamaraj signing the support letter with “approval” from Dhinakaran. However, that did not stop Dhinakaran from filing a complaint against TVK over alleged forgery.
8. AIADMK’s late entry: Adding another twist, TTV Dhinakaran met Governor Arlekar and urged him to invite AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami to form the government instead of Vijay. The move signalled attempts by sections of the anti-TVK camp to push for an alternative arrangement in the event Vijay failed to prove majority support.
9. DMK’s backchannel move: CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby claimed the DMK had itself explored the possibility of supporting an AIADMK-led government from outside in order to block Vijay from taking office. According to Baby, the Left parties rejected the idea, arguing that both the DMK and AIADMK had been rejected by voters and that the single largest party should get the first opportunity.
10. Left backs Vijay: The CPI(M), CPI and sections of the Opposition defended their dramatic shift towards Vijay by framing it as a constitutional and ideological battle. MA Baby alleged that the BJP was trying to use the Governor’s office to “manipulate” the mandate and said supporting TVK was necessary to “defend secularism, federalism and the people’s verdict”.

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