Vijay Meets Governor, Moves to Form Government in Tamil Nadu

Actor-turned-politician Vijay on Wednesday met Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar and formally staked a claim to form the government, bringing an end to two days of intense political uncertainty in the state.

The move came after Vijay’s newly launched party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), delivered a big mandate in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. 

The party won 108 seats, outperforming both the DMK and the AIADMK to emerge as the single-largest party in the Assembly. Soon after the results, TVK secured support from the Congress and a few smaller regional parties, strengthening its position to form the government.

From the last two days, Tamil Nadu witnessed hectic political activity as parties explored possible alliances and support arrangements. The AIADMK, which faced another disappointing electoral performance after setbacks in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 and 2026 Assembly polls, appeared divided over its next political move.

Leaders such as CV Shanmugam and SP Velumani favoured providing external support to a TVK-led government rather than formally joining the administration.

Both the Congress and AIADMK held discussions with Vijay’s camp, triggering speculation over possible coalition arrangements. However, the possibility of a TVK-AIADMK understanding faded after the Congress formally stepped in to support TVK.

In its statement, the Congress said its support for Vijay’s party would depend on “keeping out any communal forces that do not believe in the Constitution of India” from the alliance. While the party did not mention the AIADMK directly, the remark was widely interpreted as an indirect reference to parties that had previously aligned with the NDA.

The Congress leadership decided after an urgent meeting of its Political Affairs Committee convened by Girish Chodankar. Senior leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, also reviewed the fast-changing political developments in Tamil Nadu during discussions in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony, scheduled for May 8.

According to sources, Rahul Gandhi is likely to attend the event. He had earlier congratulated Vijay following the election victory.