Road clear for Vijay to become Tamil Nadu CM as VCK backs TVK

Actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay moved a step closer to becoming the next chief minister of Tamil Nadu after the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) today (9 May) extended unconditional support to his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), helping it cross the majority mark in the state assembly.

The support from VCK's two MLAs potentially clears the final hurdle for government formation in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, where 118 seats are required for a majority.

However, the formal invitation from Governor Rajendra Arlekar to form the government is still awaited.

VCK support boosts TVK numbers

Senior TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna displayed the VCK support letter, signalling that Vijay, popularly known as "Thalapathy", now has the numbers needed to stake claim to form the government.

TVK emerged as the single-largest party by winning 108 seats in the recently concluded assembly election. The party had already secured support from Congress, which won five seats, and the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which won two seats each.

With VCK's support, the Vijay-led bloc is expected to comfortably cross the majority threshold.

The breakthrough comes after three days of intense negotiations and political uncertainty following the election results.

Governor yet to formally invite TVK

Earlier, Vijay made three consecutive visits to Governor Rajendra Arlekar in Chennai seeking an invitation to form the government. The governor had reportedly sought written proof of majority support before proceeding further.

Despite the support letters, there was still no official communication from Raj Bhavan till this evening.

The delay in government formation had raised speculation about possible political instability and even President's Rule if no alliance could demonstrate majority support within the constitutional timeline.

Left parties cite stability concerns

CPI and CPI(M) leaders said they backed TVK to prevent prolonged uncertainty in Tamil Nadu politics.

CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam said the Left parties decided to support TVK to avoid any possibility of "backdoor entry" by the BJP into Tamil Nadu politics through central intervention.

"Since if the government is not formed by the 10th, then President's Rule will come. And the BJP is trying to enter Tamil Nadu through the back door. So, to end this, CPI and CPI(M) have decided to support TVK," he said.

The Left parties, however, clarified that they would support the TVK government from outside and would not seek cabinet positions.

Congress eyes role in government

Congress indicated interest in joining the government. Tamil Nadu Congress chief K Selvaperunthagai said TVK had proposed two ministerial posts and one Rajya Sabha seat for the party, though final decisions would depend on the Congress high command.

Speculation also grew over possible power-sharing arrangements with VCK after party leaders hinted at seeking a deputy chief minister position and cabinet representation. However, senior VCK leaders later denied reports that the party had placed formal demands before extending support.

Meanwhile, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) rejected rumours that it had backed TVK and reiterated that it remains aligned with the DMK-led alliance.

The development marks a dramatic political rise for Vijay, whose two-year-old party has rapidly transformed into Tamil Nadu's dominant political force, reshaping the state's political landscape traditionally dominated by the DMK and AIADMK.