How VCK Kept Vijay, Tamil Nadu On Edge For 3 Days

'Thalapathy' Vijay has finally made a stunning electoral debut - the superstar actor who nobody expected to go the distance, much less win anything of note, has now secured the final two seats to become Tamil Nadu's next chief minister, and follow legendary figures like MG Ramachandran, J Jayalalithaa, CN Annadurai, and M Karunanidhi in completing a cinema-to-chief minister arc.

But Vijay's remarkable story hit yet (another) bump Friday night after the Indian Union Muslim League and the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam made it clear they will not, at this time, back his two-year-old Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.

The IUML and AMMK won three seats between them in last month's election. Two of those - which Vijay's TVK said it had been offered - could have put it over the line in its bid to reach 118 seats, the majority mark and 10 more than it has now.

However, the 'deal' fell through, embarrassingly, hours after Vijay met Governor RV Arlekar, who is seen as having stymied the TVK's push by demanding to see the 118 letters of support rather than allowing the party to prove a majority in the House.

And so the focus shifted to the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and its two MLA-elects, seats the TVK thought were in the bag, only to find party boss Thol Thirumavalavan still on the fence about breaking from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

The VCK drama, Act 1

VCK and Left leaders met DMK boss MK Stalin on Wednesday to discuss their possible switch to Vijay's side. Sources told NDTV that Stalin gave all three parties the green light. Each party, he reportedly said, is free to act in their best interest.

And so the TVK reached out - to the CPI, CPM, and VCK, as well as the IUML.

Eight seats were in play. The TVK needed only six since the Congress had stepped in with its five.

... Act 2

All through Thursday there was suspense.

The VCK and Left held internal talks over support for Vijay. The CPI and CPM initially seemed unsure, suggesting they might prefer an 'external support' equation that would have allowed them to offer the TVK issue-based support.

VCK boss Thol Thirumavalavan (File)

The VCK was less communicative; after the first round of meetings party boss Thirumavalavan would only say "will decide soon" and suggested that decision might hinge on the Left's answer.

As the day wound down, the positions seemed to swap.

The Left offered a more definitive answer - 'yes, we will support TVK, from the inside'.

The VCK withdrew further. Reports said the party had added to its demand for one cabinet berth - it now wanted a deputy chief minister's post for Thirumavalavan. And then, amazingly, there were even whispers he could be chief minister.

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Vijay and the TVK remained on tenterhooks; a second meeting with Arlekar fell through after the governor, once again, asked pointed questions of the actor-politician. 'How can you govern with 113 MLAs when the mark is 118?"

Vijay insisted he could prove his majority in the House.

... Act 3

As Friday dawned, the VCK took centre stage again.

A U-turn. 'We will support TVK', the party said that evening. Its two seats, added to the Congress' five and the Left's four meant Vijay had 11 allies and 119 seats in the House. It was enough.

In fact, believing he had support from the IUML too, Vijay went to Arlekar with what he thought were 121 seats.

But then the IUML backed out, the AMMK too, and then the VCK too.

And Vijay was left with a third unsuccessful bid to form the government.

RECAP | Governor Unconvinced (Again) That Vijay Has Majority, No Oath Today: Sources

The VCK finally handed the TVK their letter of support on Saturday evening.