Tamil Nadu post-poll drama: TVK MLAs threaten mass resignation; AIADMK holed up MLAs in resort; what next? | India News
New Delhi: The single-largest party, still short of the Chennai throne The Tamilga Vetri Kazhagam, led by mega movie star Vijay, emerged as a powerful force in Tamil Nadu, disrupting decades of dominance. DMK And AIADMK With a sweeping cinematic wave. However, the road to power remains uncertain, as the party failed to prove a clear majority in front of Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.“Thalapathy” victoryIts TVK, which overtook both the DMK and the AIADMK, emerged as the strongest, winning 108 seats in the 234-member assembly. Still, the party was 10 seats short of a majority tally of 118, leaving the balance of government formation hanging.The disruption has reshaped Tamil Nadu’s traditional political arena, even creating an unlikely rift between arch-rivals DMK and AIADMK. Meanwhile, sources said TVK boss Vijay is considering the mass resignation of 108 party MLAs if the DMK or AIADMK try to form the government.
The government wants proof of majority from Vijay
Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Thursday invited Vijay to Lok Bhavan and told him that the required majority support in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, required to form the government, has not yet been established.According to ANI sources, the Governor sought clarity on the “magic number” required to form the government and asked Vijay to give details of the MLAs supporting his demand to form the government in Tamil Nadu.TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member assembly, while DMK got 59 and AIADMK won 47. With Congress strongly supporting TVK with five of its MLAs, the alliance tally stands at 113. However, Vijay is expected to win a functional strength of TVdu if he vacates two seats. And the coalition total is 112, still five short of a majority of 118.The governor’s refusal to immediately invite Vijay to form the government drew sharp criticism from TVK leaders and allies, many of whom accused him of acting under pressure from the BJP-led central government to stall the constitutional process.Several parties have demanded that the governor invite Vijay to form the government and allow him to prove his majority through a floor test in the assembly.
The arch-rivals have drawn closer in the TVK wave
The DMK and AIADMK found the nascent friendship between them a strong counter to the dominant TVK.The unthinkable has suddenly become possible in Tamil Nadu politics. In a dramatic turn in the post-poll power struggle, caretaker Chief Minister Dr MK Stalin DMK MLAs have reportedly been informed that arch-rival AIADMK has reached out seeking support to form the government and bar Vijay from ascending to the chief minister’s chair. Multiple sources told TOI that the legislators left the final decision to Stalin. Meanwhile, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has reportedly sought an appointment with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Friday.Hours before the high-stakes DMK meeting, Stalin was locked in talks with Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, leaders of the CPI and the CPM, the parties’ combined six MLAs likely to become crucial in the numbers game. Sources said that the possibility of AIADMK outreach and possible restructuring also came up during the talks, with the allies expected to make their stand known on Friday.
Allies slam governor, back floor test for victory
VCK leader Thol Thirumabhavan and leaders of Left parties criticized Governor Arlekar for not inviting Vijay to form the government, accusing the BJP-led central government of trying to “complicate Tamil Nadu politics and Vijay’s position”.Addressing the media on Thursday, Thirumabhavan said that as per constitutional provisions, the governor should immediately invite Vijay to form the government. “If he fails to do so, it will mean that the governor is deliberately trying to complicate and muddy the prevailing political situation in the state,” he said.Thirumabhavan, CPI state secretary M Veerpandian and CPM state secretary P Shanmugam later met Stalin at his residence to discuss the post-poll situation.“We discussed the election results. We also talked in detail about the current political situation,” Thirumabhavan said, adding that discussions on inviting TVK leader Vijay to the VK and other parties continued.He added, “We have been in touch with the VKK expressing his desire to form the government. He (Vijay) has also spoken to me. We are considering it. But we have to look at many more factors before taking a decision. We cannot rush as the party has a set procedure,” he added.“TVK has emerged as the single largest party in the polls. Hence, the governor must give enough time to TVK to prove its majority on the floor of the House,” Veerpandian said. Shanmugam echoes the same.Durai Vaiko also criticized the governor saying that any attempt to delay or block Vijay from assuming office is unconstitutional and against the mandate of the people.
