TN Government Formation Delayed Again
Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar sent TVK chief Vijay back for the second day in a row on Thursday. The Governor said Vijay cannot form the government yet because he does not have enough support. He asked Vijay to come back only after getting signatures from 118 MLAs to prove he has a majority. TVK won 108 seats in the recent election, but the magic number to form the government is 118. With Congress support of 5 MLAs, Vijay currently has 112, which is still short by 6.
Vijay met the Governor at Raj Bhavan and said he has oral support from Congress. But the Governor wants written proof from 118 MLAs before starting the oath process. The Governor told him, “Please come with 118 signatures. Prove that TVK has majority and then the oath can happen.” Sources say the Governor wants to make sure the government is stable and will not fall after taking charge. This is the second time Vijay has been turned away. He also met the Governor on Wednesday with 112 MLAs backing him.
The delay has started a big political debate in Tamil Nadu. VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan asked the Governor to invite Vijay and let him prove majority on the Assembly floor later. He said BJP leaders are interfering and creating confusion. The Tamil Nadu CPI unit also said it is wrong to ask for proof before the oath. They said the leader of the single largest party should be given a chance first. Article 164 of the Constitution gives the Governor power to pick the Chief Minister. In past cases, Governors have allowed the single largest party to form a minority government.
TVK’s win has ended the 30 year run of DMK and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. But Vijay is set to give up one of the two seats he won. So TVK’s strength will drop to 107. With Congress, the total is 112. The party now needs 6 more MLAs to reach 118. On social media, #ThalapathyCM is trending as fans wait for Vijay’s next move. Political experts say TVK is talking to independents and smaller parties to get the remaining numbers. Everyone is now watching what the Governor will do next.
