Tamil Nadu Governor Yet To Be Convinced Over Vijay’s Majority Claim, Oath Unlikely Tomorrow

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay's swearing-in as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is unlikely to happen tomorrow as Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is yet to be convinced that the party has the required majority to form the government, sources said.

The development comes hours after Vijay met the Governor and formally staked claim to form the next government following TVK's emergence as the single-largest party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election.

TVK Still Short Of Majority Mark

Despite its strong electoral performance, the TVK still remains short of the majority figure of 118 seats in the 234-member Assembly. The party required at least 10 additional seats after the results.

With the Congress extending support through its five MLAs, the TVK's tally rose to 112, excluding one of the two seats won by Vijay himself. This still leaves the party six seats short of the halfway mark.

As a result, the immediate challenge before Vijay is to demonstrate majority support on the floor of the House before any formal government formation process moves ahead.

Congress Backs TVK With One Condition

The Congress officially announced support to the TVK on Wednesday morning after its central leadership reportedly allowed the Tamil Nadu unit to take an independent decision on the matter.

Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar had earlier said the party would rather support a "secular government" than allow the BJP to gain power in the state.

Soon after the announcement, Congress workers celebrated outside the party's Tamil Nadu headquarters by bursting firecrackers.

However, the Congress also attached a condition to its support, saying forces "that do not believe in the Constitution" and communal parties should remain outside the alliance.

Smaller Parties Yet To Decide Stand

There is still uncertainty over which other parties or independents may eventually support Vijay's bid for power.

The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), which secured two seats, is currently holding internal discussions over its next move. The Left parties are also yet to announce their decision. Both the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which won two seats each, have sought time till May 8 before taking a final call.

The election results saw the DMK win 59 seats, AIADMK 47, PMK 4, IUML 2, CPI 2, CPI(M) 2, while the BJP, DMDK and AMMK secured one seat each.

At the same time, political circles are buzzing with speculation over a possible TVK-AIADMK understanding. Such an arrangement could comfortably push Vijay past the majority mark, given AIADMK's 47-seat strength. Sources indicated that at least 30 legislators from the AIADMK may be open to backing the TVK.

DMK And BJP Attack Congress Decision

The Congress decision has triggered sharp reactions from both the DMK and the BJP.

The DMK, which fought the election in alliance with the Congress, accused its partner of betrayal. DMK spokesperson Saravanan Anadurai alleged that the Congress had "backstabbed the people of Tamil Nadu" by siding with the TVK.

He further claimed the Congress was "self-destructing" merely to secure two cabinet berths in a possible TVK-led government.

The BJP, meanwhile, said the development reflected the collapse of the Opposition INDIA bloc. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "There is nobody whom the Congress has not deceived. Imagine what they will do to the Samajwadi Party if they have done this to the DMK."

Calling it the "last rites" of the INDIA bloc, he said the Congress had once again exposed divisions within the alliance.

TVK's breakthrough performance has dramatically altered Tamil Nadu's political landscape, ending the long-standing dominance of the DMK and AIADMK in the state. Former Chief Minister M. K. Stalin has already resigned after losing the Kolathur seat to TVK candidate VS Babu.