Vijay Nears Tamil Nadu CM Post as VCK Extends Support to TVK

Actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay moved closer to becoming the next chief minister of Tamil Nadu after the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) extended unconditional support to his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), on Friday.

The support from VCK’s two MLAs pushed the Vijay-led alliance past the majority mark in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly. A party or alliance requires at least 118 seats to form the government.

Although the alliance now appears to have enough numbers, Governor Rajendra Arlekar has not yet officially invited TVK to form the government.

VCK Support Strengthens TVK’s Position

Senior TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna publicly displayed the support letter from VCK, signalling that Vijay, widely known as “Thalapathy,” now commands majority support in the assembly.

TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the recently concluded assembly election after securing 108 seats. The party had already gained backing from the Indian National Congress, which won five seats, along with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), which won two seats each.

With VCK’s support, the alliance comfortably crossed the required majority threshold.

The development ended several days of political uncertainty following the election results and strengthened TVK’s claim to form the next government in Tamil Nadu.

Governor Yet to Invite TVK to Form Government

Before securing support from VCK, Vijay reportedly met Governor Rajendra Arlekar in Chennai on three consecutive occasions to seek an invitation to form the government.

Sources indicated that the governor requested written proof of majority support before taking further action. Despite the submission of support letters, Raj Bhavan had not issued any official statement by Friday evening.

The delay sparked speculation about possible political instability in the state. Political observers also discussed the possibility of President’s Rule if no alliance managed to secure a majority within the constitutional deadline.

Left Parties Back TVK for Political Stability

Leaders from CPI and CPI(M) said they supported TVK to avoid prolonged uncertainty in Tamil Nadu politics.

CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam stated that the Left parties wanted to prevent any indirect political entry by the BJP into the state through central intervention.

According to him, failure to form a government within the deadline could have triggered President’s Rule, which raised concerns among opposition parties.

The Left parties also clarified that they would support the TVK-led government from outside and would not demand ministerial positions in the cabinet.

Congress May Seek Role in Government

The Congress party signalled interest in becoming part of the new government. Tamil Nadu Congress chief K Selvaperunthagai said TVK had proposed two ministerial positions and one Rajya Sabha seat for the party.

However, he added that the final decision would depend on approval from the Congress high command.

At the same time, reports suggested that VCK leaders were considering a possible power-sharing arrangement, including cabinet representation and the deputy chief minister’s post. Senior VCK leaders later denied making any formal demands before extending support to TVK.

Meanwhile, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) dismissed rumours about supporting TVK and reaffirmed its commitment to the DMK-led alliance.

Vijay’s Rapid Political Rise Reshapes Tamil Nadu Politics

The latest political development marks a major milestone for Vijay and his two-year-old party, TVK.

Within a short period, TVK transformed itself into one of Tamil Nadu’s strongest political forces. The party’s rapid rise has significantly changed the state’s political landscape, which had long been dominated by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

If the governor formally invites TVK to form the government, Vijay could soon begin a new chapter in Tamil Nadu politics as the state’s next chief minister.