- Vijay's TVK claims government formation with 108 seats, seeking two weeks to prove majority
- TVK aims for outside support from Congress, CPI, CPM, and VCK to form a minority government
- Potential DMK-Congress alliance rupture as Congress considered pre-poll tie-up with TVK
A day after scripting electoral history, actor-turned-politician Vijay is moving swiftly to form the government in Tamil Nadu, even as the numbers game and alliance possibilities take centrestage.
Soon after Vijay holds a meeting with newly-elected MLAs of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) met at the party headquarters in Chennai, sources indicate the party will write to the Governor to stake claim to form the government, seeking up to two weeks to prove its majority on the floor of the House.
TVK has emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats - just 10 short of the halfway mark. Despite falling short of a clear majority, the party is confident of forming a government with outside support.
Party insiders told NDTV that the TVK is counting on backing from key DMK allies, including the Congress (five seats), CPI (two seats), CPM (two seats), and VCK (two seats). "This could mirror 2006, when a minority DMK government functioned with outside support," a senior leader said, hinting at a possible political realignment.
Such a move would signal a significant rupture in the DMK-Congress alliance, already under strain. Congress had earlier explored an alliance with the TVK before elections and leveraged that position to secure more seats from the DMK. Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar admitted that many within the party had favoured tying up with the TVK but "compulsions of the INDIA bloc" kept the alliance intact.
Another option before TVK is support from AIADMK ally PMK, which has five seats. But a direct understanding with AIADMK appears unlikely due to its ties with the BJP - whom Vijay has repeatedly called his ideological adversary. This could also, sources say, could open avenues for the BJP to orchestrate unless the AIADMK snaps ties with the saffron party.
Even if TVK forms a minority government, governing could be politically delicate, especially in navigating relations with the BJP-led Centre.
Sources say the swearing-in could take place as early as May 7. Vijay, who won from both Perambur and Trichy East, has already delivered a strong message with TVK's performance - especially in Chennai, where the party captured 14 of 16 seats, breaching the DMK's traditional stronghold.
