TVK Chief Vijay Holds Fresh Meeting with Tamil Nadu Governor as Hung Assembly Stalemate Persists

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay met Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar again on Thursday, intensifying efforts to resolve the ongoing uncertainty over government formation in the state following the April 23 Assembly elections.

TVK secured a historic 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly, emerging as the single-largest party in its debut electoral performance. However, the party remains 10 seats short of the 118-mark majority required to form a government on its own. This has resulted in Tamil Nadu’s first hung Assembly in decades, breaking the long-standing duopoly of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

Vijay had first met the Governor on May 6 to formally stake claim to form the government. During that interaction, he reportedly submitted letters of support totalling around 112 MLAs, including unconditional backing from TVK’s own 108 elected members and conditional support from the Congress’s five MLAs. The Governor, exercising caution in line with constitutional conventions for a hung House, insisted on verifiable documentary proof of at least 118 MLAs before proceeding with an invitation to form the government or set a date for swearing-in.

Congress leaders, including Tamil Nadu Congress Committee representatives, formally handed over a letter of support to Vijay at the TVK headquarters earlier this week. The party has made its backing conditional on keeping “communal forces” out of any alliance and ensuring a secular government committed to the Constitution. With Congress’s five seats, TVK’s effective strength reaches 113, leaving it still five to six short of a clear majority.

Negotiations are underway with other smaller parties, including the CPI (2 seats), CPI(M) (2 seats), and VCK (2 seats), to bridge the remaining gap. TVK has explicitly ruled out any tie-up with the DMK, which won 59 seats, or the AIADMK, which secured 47 seats. AIADMK has also publicly ruled out extending support to TVK.

Sources indicate that during Thursday’s meeting, discussions centered on providing additional assurances and possibly more letters of support. Vijay is understood to have evidence of support to demonstrate majority support on the floor of the Assembly if invited to form the government. He was supposed take the oath as the Chief Minister on Thursday afternoon but that got delayed while official confirmation is pending. The Governor, if convinced can call for the searing in ceremony. 

MK Stalin, whose DMK-led alliance was ousted after the verdict, tendered his resignation along with his cabinet following the results. Political observers describe TVK’s rise as a significant disruption in Tamil Nadu’s politics, potentially paving the way for a coalition era outside the traditional Dravidian framework. As backroom talks continue, all eyes remain on Raj Bhavan and whether TVK can secure the final numbers needed for a stable administration. Further updates from the Governor’s office are expected in the coming hours or days.