- Vijay's TVK has won 108 seats, becoming the single-largest party in Tamil Nadu assembly
- DMK and AIADMK are now considering an alliance to keep Vijay and his TVK out of power
- DMK faction fears a repeat of AIADMK's dominance under MG Ramachandran
The rise of Vijay and his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam or TVK may spark what has been considered impossible over the last 50 years - an alliance between Dravidian arch-rivals DMK and AIADMK - all to keep the actor-politician out of power. Sources have told NDTV that the Udhayanidhi Stalin faction of the DMK fear that Vijay could bring about a re-run of the years under AIADMK's iconic Chief Minister MG Ramachandran or MGR, who in his lifetime, had never allowed the DMK to capture power.
The other half of this arrangement, the AIADMK, is ready to consider it in view of its survival, especially in view of its four successive poll defeats since the death of J Jayalalithaa. And the BJP, which comprises the backroom, is interested in keeping the Congress out of power after its alliance with the TVK, sources said.
Read: All 108 TVK MLAs To Resign If DMK, AIADMK Try To Form Government: Sources
There is one small hitch: For the plan to take off, the Left and VCK need to sign off on it. Vijay has already approached these parties for support and they have been stalling for time.
Top DMK sources told NDTV that the plan is very much being considered, under which E Palaniswami will become Chief Minister with the outside support of DMK. And it appears to be on track despite the reservations of the older generation in the DMK, including party chief MK Stalin.
The seniors, sources said, are worried about the public reaction to such an anomalous experiment. They fear a massive backlash from supporters - in Tamil Nadu, an emotional crowd.
It is those emotional supporters that Vijay has been looking at when his party declared this evening that in case of a DMK-AIADMK alliance is in the works and it stakes claim to form government, all its 108 MLAs will resign. The protest measure is guaranteed to get the fans -- who have given him an unprecedented popular mandate -- to hit the road.
Read: "Governor Within Bounds In Tamil Nadu Deadlock": Harish Salve To NDTV
The TVK, which won 108 seats, argues that as the single-largest party, it should be invited by the Governor to form government. But Governor RV Arlekar has refused to allow Vijay to stake claim, saying he does not have the numbers.
Sources said Arlekar has insisted that actor-politician provide letters of support from 118 legislators. The demand has been slammed by multiple political parties, who say that majority is only to be proven in the floor of the house -- that too after the oath ceremony.
In the recently concluded assembly election, Vijay's TVK has emerged as the single-largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member house, falling short of the simple majority mark of 118.
The Opposition AIADMK has won 47 seats, while its allies won six seats. The PMK won four seats and the BJP and AMMK clinched one seat each.
The DMK finished with 59 seats, while its ally Congress managed to win five seats. The rest of its allies IUML, CPI, CPI (M) and VCK won two seats each and the DMDK one seat.
The 16th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly's tenure expires on May 10.
