Chennai: Tamil Nadu politics is in turmoil these days. A fierce clash broke out between supporters of actor Vijay’s party, the Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), and the police, who were protesting outside the Lok Bhavan in Chennai, demanding their demands. The police detained several supporters to control the workers, who were angry over the chaos and uncertainty surrounding the swearing-in of party chief Vijay. Meanwhile, new alliances emerging with opposition parties have put the state’s politics at an interesting juncture.
TVK now appears to be in a strong position in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. There are indications that the party may receive support from the Left parties (CPI, CPM), VCK, and the Congress. Looking at the assembly’s mathematics, if 11 MLAs from other parties join TVK’s own 107 MLAs, the total would reach 118. Amid this strategic turmoil, TVK MLA and Vijay’s close associate, Aadhav Arjun, held a crucial meeting at the party chief’s residence, which is being considered a major step towards government formation.
The Tamil Nadu Congress has launched a statewide protest against Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. The Congress alleges that despite emerging as the single largest party in the assembly elections, the Governor has not invited the TVK to form the government. The party’s state in-charge Girish Chodankar and president K. Selvaperunthagai led the protest at Anna Salai, alleging that the Raj Bhavan is acting at the behest of the central government. The Congress clarified that it is committed to curbing the influence of the BJP and RSS and is respecting the people’s decision and supporting the TVK.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has taken charge of the effort to form a secular government. He spoke to Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D. Raja over the phone and appealed for support for TVK. Kharge believes that all secular parties should unite to keep the BJP out of power. D. Raja has assured him that he will discuss this with his local allies and take a decision soon. Meanwhile, in Guwahati, Assam, the BJP is busy preparing for the swearing-in of its new government, where a grand ceremony will be held on May 12th in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
