Tamil Nadu Governor not convinced with Vijay’s letter of support; asks TVK to come with 118 MLAs

It has secured the support of five Congress MLAs, taking the alliance tally to 113, still five short of the 118 required for a majority.

Working to secure a majority in Tamil Nadu Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay is unlikely to be sworn in as Chief Minister tomorrow, as the actor-turned-politician continues efforts to build a majority in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday.

According to sources, TVK does not yet have confirmed official numbers to satisfy the Governor, who is seeking clarity on the party’s claim of majority support.

TVK emerged as the single-largest party with 108 seats in its debut assembly election. However, with Vijay set to vacate one of his two winning seats, i.e., Tiruchirapalli East and Perambur, the party’s effective strength will drop to 107.

It has secured the support of five Congress MLAs, taking the alliance tally to 113, still five short of the 118 required for a majority.

Vijay met Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday as part of government formation efforts.

Earlier in the day, the Governor said had received a formal letter from TVK staking claim to form the government and had scheduled a meeting with Vijay.

"I have received a letter from TVK. They will meet me in the evening. They have stated that they have the majority and they should be called for the formation of the government. A new govt will come now," the Governor said.

Congress, which contested the polls as part of the DMK-led alliance, has decided to back TVK. Tamil Nadu Congress President K Selvaperunthagai and party state in-charge Girish Chodankar met Vijay at the TVK headquarters in Chennai and submitted a letter of support.

Also Read: TVK chief Vijay meets Tamil Nadu Guv Rajendra Arlekar; stakes claim to form govt

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Selvaperunthagai said it was a decision taken by the party high command.

"We have given our letter of support (to TVK)... I don't know when the oath ceremony is. He (Vijay) will meet the Governor," he added.

DMK leader Saravanan Annadurai criticised Congress for switching sides, calling the move "myopic" and an act of betrayal to its INDIA bloc partners.

He warned that Congress would regret the decision and would be seen as an unreliable partner ahead of the 2029 elections.

In a bid to bridge the remaining gap, TVK has also reportedly reached out to AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS).

TVK’s historical performance has ended the decades-old DMK-AIADMK duopoly in Tamil Nadu politics, marking a major shift in the state’s political landscape.
 

(with ANI inputs)