Actor-turned-politician Vijay on Saturday received the Governor’s clearance to form the government in Tamil Nadu after his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), secured the support required to cross the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly. Vijay is set to take oath as the Chief Minister today at 10 am.
Vijay, accompanied by senior TVK leaders, submitted letters of support from 120 MLAs to the Governor after parties including the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress extended “unconditional support” to the TVK chief for formation of a coalition government.
Vijay has been appointed as the first non-Dravadian Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after 59 years and will take oath alone today. Meanwhile, uncertainty continued over the size and composition of the Cabinet, with no clarity yet on how many ministers will be inducted alongside him.
Saturday’s meeting was Vijay’s fourth with the Governor in a span of one week to seek an invitation to form the government. His earlier two attempts had failed after he fell short of the required letters of support from MLAs.
The political uncertainty in Tamil Nadu ended after days of intense negotiations, with allies of the DMK eventually backing Vijay’s party and helping it cross the halfway mark in the 234-member Assembly. However, the coalition has only a slender majority of 120 MLAs.
Several workers and supporters of the TVK celebrated the developments and busted firecrackers outside party’s headquarters in Chennai.
TVK had emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats in its maiden Assembly election, but remained 10 short of the majority mark. The party had subsequently reached out to the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and the Indian Union Muslim League, all allies of the DMK, seeking support to form the government after the Assembly polls held on April 23. The results were declared on May 4.
Vijay, who won from two Assembly constituencies, will have to vacate one seat, reducing TVK’s tally to 107. The combined strength of the supporting parties, including Congress with five MLAs and CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML with two legislators each, takes the alliance’s total strength to 120 in the Assembly.
TVK has also faced criticism from NDA ally Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (AAMK), which accused the party of attempting horse-trading amid the intense government formation battle.
The political developments also triggered a return of “resort politics” in Tamil Nadu, a phenomenon last witnessed after the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2016. While the five MLAs of the Congress, which has backed TVK, were shifted to Hyderabad, TVK legislators were housed at a resort in Mamallapuram near Chennai.
Sources have said that VCK is eyeing plum posts, including Deputy CM in the Cabinet to be helmed by Vijay. However, none of the parties have officially confirmed the claims.
