Chennai: The political landscape in Tamil Nadu remains shrouded in uncertainty as the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam leader and popular actor Vijay faces a critical delay in forming a new government. Despite meeting with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Friday to stake his claim for the third time this week, Vijay was unable to provide the necessary proof of a majority. According to reports from The Indian Express, the scheduled swearing-in ceremony has been officially cancelled because the TVK-led alliance currently holds the support of 116 Members of the Legislative Assembly, falling just two short of the required 118-seat majority in the 234-member house.
While Vijay presented letters of support from the TVK, Congress, CPI, and CPI(M), the critical support of the IUML and VCK remains missing. Although VCK Chief Thirumavalavan publicly declared his party’s support for the TVK on Friday morning, a formal letter was not submitted to the Governor by late Friday night. This administrative delay has prevented the Governor from issuing a formal invitation to form the government, maintaining the requirement that the magic number of 118 must be clearly demonstrated before any constitutional proceedings can move forward.
In a bid to break the stalemate, the TVK has approached the Supreme Court to intervene in the matter. Advocate Ezhilarasi filed a petition arguing that the Governor’s refusal to invite the single largest party to form the government is unconstitutional. The petition requests that the court direct the Governor to allow the TVK to prove its majority on the floor of the house. As the legal and political battle intensifies, the state waits to see if the missing four MLAs from the VCK and IUML will finally tip the scales in favour of the actor-turned-politician.
