Vijay’s TVK clears majority hurdle, set to form Tamil Nadu government

Actor-turned-politician Vijay is set to become the next chief minister of Tamil Nadu after his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) secured enough backing from allies to cross the majority mark following days of intense post-election negotiations and political uncertainty.

The breakthrough came on Friday after Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar gave the green signal for government formation, bringing an end to a deadlock that had gripped the state since the assembly election results delivered a fractured mandate.

TVK had emerged as the single largest party in the 234-member assembly with 108 seats, falling 10 short of the 118 required for a majority. But support from the Congress, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) pushed Vijay past the threshold needed to stake claim to power.

The Congress, which won five seats, was the first major party to back TVK, ending its long-standing alliance with the DMK. The CPI and CPI(M), which secured two seats each, later extended support, with the Left parties describing their decision as necessary to ensure a “stable, secular and democratic” government in the state.

The VCK’s backing ultimately helped TVK touch the majority mark, paving the way for Vijay to formally move ahead with government formation.

The dramatic political developments capped an extraordinary electoral debut for Vijay, whose rise has upended Tamil Nadu’s traditional political order dominated for decades by the DMK and the AIADMK.

For the first time since Independence, no single major party in Tamil Nadu secured a clear majority on its own. Political observers described the verdict as a historic break from the state’s entrenched two-party structure.

The road to power, however, was far from smooth.

In the days after the election results, Governor Arlekar faced mounting criticism from opposition parties and allies of TVK for not immediately inviting Vijay to form the government despite the party emerging as the single largest formation.

According to sources, the Governor had sought clarity on the “magic number” and asked TVK to furnish details of legislators backing its claim before any constitutional process could move forward.

The CPI publicly urged the Governor not to create “hurdles” in the government formation process, arguing that established parliamentary conventions required the single largest party to be given the first opportunity to prove its majority on the floor of the House.

Former Shiv Sena-UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also accused the Governor’s office of creating conditions for possible “horse trading” by delaying the process.

The political uncertainty even reached the Supreme Court, with a petition filed against the Governor’s inaction amid the continuing stalemate over government formation.

Vijay’s rapid ascent from cinema superstar to chief minister-in-waiting has become one of the defining stories of the election.

Campaigning on anti-establishment sentiment and promising political change, the TVK chief drew massive crowds across the state and positioned himself as an alternative to both the DMK and AIADMK.

The election results reflected that appeal, with TVK’s strong performance effectively dismantling the decades-old political duopoly that has shaped Tamil Nadu politics for more than 30 years.

Many supporters hailed Vijay as a transformational figure capable of reshaping the state’s politics, while some political commentators compared elements of his mass appeal and communication style to late former chief minister M. Karunanidhi.

Vijay contested and won from two constituencies in the election and is expected to retain the Chennai Perambur seat while resigning from Trichy. Once he vacates one constituency, TVK’s effective strength in the assembly is expected to fall by one seat.

Even so, the alliance arithmetic now appears sufficient for Vijay to comfortably seek a trust vote and formally take charge as Tamil Nadu’s next chief minister.

The focus will now shift from the dramatic post-poll manoeuvring to the composition of the new cabinet, the stability of the coalition supporting TVK, and whether Vijay can convert his blockbuster electoral debut into long-term political success.

- with inputs from IANS, ANI