- Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam won 107 seats, 11 short of Tamil Nadu's majority
- TVK may form a minority government, likely invited by the governor to lead
- Outside support may come from Congress, CPI, CPI(M), and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi
With 107 seats in hand, actor-turned-politician Vijay and his party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), find themselves just 11 short of the majority mark in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly. The big question now is arithmetic - where will those crucial numbers come from, and will the state see a hung assembly?
As the single largest party, TVK is likely to be invited by the governor to form the government, even if it begins as a minority administration. Party insiders remain confident of securing outside support. They point to possible backing from parties currently aligned with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) - including the Congress, which won five seats, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM), and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), which have got two seats each.
A senior leader even drew parallels with 2006, when a minority DMK government survived with outside support.
Such a scenario could trigger a realignment within the DMK-led alliance. The Congress, in particular, had earlier explored a possible tie-up with TVK before the elections and leveraged that to secure a higher seat share from the DMK - indicating already strained ties within the alliance.
Another possible route for TVK is support from the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), which holds five seats. However, any direct engagement with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) appears unlikely given its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which Vijay has described as his ideological adversary.
Rhevanth Charan, the 30-year-old Maduravoyal candidate of TVK, who is set to become one of the youngest MLAs in the state, exuded confidence about the party's prospects of forming the government.
“There is no fear of instability. We will form the government,” Charan told NDTV, while adding that any decision on alliances or support from other parties would be taken by the party's high command. He indicated that clarity on government formation and key dates would be announced soon.
Vijay, TVK's Historic Debut
The backdrop to this political moment is TVK's historic debut performance. Vijay has scripted a stunning entry into electoral politics, with his party emerging as the single largest force. He himself won from both Perambur and Trichy East, while TVK made deep inroads into Chennai - winning 14 of 16 seats in what has long been considered the DMK's bastion.
Throughout the campaign, Vijay framed the contest as a direct fight against the DMK, rejecting alliance options and choosing to go it alone after no party agreed to share power. With the results now in, that gamble has paid off - but forming the government will depend on how effectively he navigates the post-poll numbers game.
Sources indicate that the swearing-in could take place as early as May 7, even as intense backchannel negotiations continue to determine whether TVK can cross the majority mark.
