Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Assembly election results have brought an interesting twist to the state’s politics, with Thalapathy Vijay’s party, the Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), emerging as the single largest party by winning 108 seats. However, with Vijay falling short of the magic majority mark of 118 and the effective number falling to 107 after Vijay vacated one seat, the key to power now appears to be in the hands of smaller parties and strategic alliances. Given the current political dynamics, Vijay’s team has intensified its efforts to form a government and is contacting various parties to garner the necessary support before the swearing-in ceremony.
There is talk in the corridors of power that Vijay is completely dependent on coalition politics to form his government, and for this, his talks with the Congress have reached a decisive stage. TVK strategists seem confident of the support of five Congress MLAs, and in return, they have been offered a respectable share in the cabinet. Furthermore, efforts are underway to bring MLAs from the Left parties and the VCK into their fold to deal with any challenges within the House. Political experts believe that Vijay is adopting a flexible approach to running a coalition government, which could make his path easier.
Vijay’s party isn’t just focused on alliances; it’s also targeting disgruntled AIADMK MLAs, using old contacts within the party. There are reports that if a formal alliance is delayed, a strategy is underway to woo some opposition MLAs or keep them absent from the House during the floor test. The primary objective of this exercise is to reduce the House’s “effective strength” so that a majority can be established solely on the strength of the available MLAs. However, a whip issued by the opposition could pose a major obstacle to this plan.
In the current situation, all eyes are on the decision of the Tamil Nadu Governor, as he has two options for forming a government. The Governor can either ask Vijay for letters of support from his 118 MLAs in advance, or invite him, as the largest party, to form the government and give him time to prove his majority in the House later. The DMK has decided to sit in the opposition for now, and given Stalin’s stance, it’s clear that he won’t readily support Vijay. Consequently, the coming few hours, amid preparations for the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for May 7th, will determine the future course of Tamil Nadu politics.
