Tamil Nadu governor unconvinced over TVK majority, Vijay's oath uncertain

Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is not convinced that actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has the numbers required to form the government, making it unlikely that he will take oath tomorrow, NDTV reported citing sources.

Earlier today (6 May), Vijay met the governor and staked claim to form the next government.

TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the Tamil Nadu assembly election by winning 108 seats, but requires at least 118 seats to secure a majority. With the Congress extending support with its five seats, the tally rises to 112, excluding one of the two seats won by Vijay himself, leaving the party short by six seats.

The next step for Vijay would be to prove majority support in the assembly.

There is still no clarity on which other parties or independents may support TVK. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), which secured two seats, is holding internal discussions on the matter.

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

The Left parties, with two seats each for the Communist Party of India and and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have also not ruled out support, though both have sought time until 8 May before taking a decision.

Speculation is also growing over a possible TVK-AIADMK alliance, which would comfortably cross the majority mark. Of AIADMK's 47 seats, at least 30 are reportedly interested in backing TVK.

The Congress's Tamil Nadu unit was given full autonomy by the party's central leadership to take an independent call on whether the party should support the TVK. Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar had also announced they would rather support a "secular government" than see the BJP come to power in the southern state.

Congress formally announced its support for TVK this morning, prompting celebrations by party workers at its Tamil Nadu headquarters. The party, however, said its support depends on keeping "communal forces that do not believe in the Constitution" out of the alliance.

The DMK strongly criticised the move, accusing Congress of "backstabbing the people of Tamil Nadu." DMK spokesperson Saravanan Anadurai alleged that Congress was "self-destructing" in exchange for two cabinet positions in a possible TVK-led government.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Congress's unilateral decision indicated the collapse of the INDIA opposition bloc. "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," he said, describing the development as the "last rites" of the INDIA bloc.

TVK's sweeping victory has significantly altered Tamil Nadu's political landscape by breaking the long-standing dominance of the DMK and AIADMK. Following the defeat in the Kolathur constituency to TVK candidate VS Babu, MK Stalin resigned as chief minister.