Vijay, leader of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), is expected to meet Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar today to stake a claim to form the Tamil Nadu government.
This move aims to resolve a political deadlock by securing the majority required to form a cabinet in the 234-member Assembly. The shift signals a potential new coalition power structure in the state.
TVK won 108 seats in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election [1]. To form a government, a party or coalition must reach the majority mark of 118 seats [2].
To bridge this gap, several parties have extended their support to Vijay. The Viduthalai Chalaigal Katchi (VCK), Communist Party of India (CPI), and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) have pledged their backing [3]. Additionally, some reports indicate that five Congress legislators have also provided their support [2].
These combined additions provide 11 additional seats [2], pushing the TVK-led coalition past the required threshold.
Vijay is scheduled to meet the Governor at his residence in Chennai today, Friday, May 8. There are conflicting reports regarding the exact timing of the meeting; some sources said it will occur at 4:30 p.m. [4], while others said the meeting is set for 6 p.m. [2].
While the VCK, CPI, and CPM support is widely reported across multiple outlets [3, 5, 6], the involvement of the Congress legislators is primarily cited by specific sources [2].
“Vijay is expected to meet Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar today to stake a claim to form the Tamil Nadu government.”
The formation of a government led by the TVK, supported by a coalition of left-wing parties and select members of the Congress, represents a significant shift in Tamil Nadu's political landscape. By securing the 118-seat majority, Vijay moves from a leading party to a governing authority, potentially altering the state's legislative priorities and its relationship with national political entities.
