Tamil Nadu: All 108 MLAs will resign if DMK or AIADMK attempt to form a government, warns TVK

Chennai: A new twist has emerged in the politics of the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The TVK—the party led by actor Vijay, which emerged as the single largest party in the assembly elections—has issued a warning: if the DMK and AIADMK attempt to form a new government in the state, all 108 of its legislators will resign. Official told the media that the TVK took this decision immediately following two crucial meetings held today within the DMK and AIADMK camps. On Thursday evening, the TVK warned that if either of the two Dravidian parties—specifically M.K. Stalin's DMK or E. Palaniswami's AIADMK—attempts to stake a claim to form the government in Tamil Nadu, all of the party's legislators will resign.

It is worth noting that in the recent elections, the TVK won 108 seats, two of which were won by Vijay himself. Consequently, the party currently holds a total of 107 legislators. The party argues that, as the single largest party, the Governor should invite their leader, Vijay, to form the government; however, the Governor has not yet done so. Nevertheless, 'Thalapathy' Vijay has met with the Governor twice in the span of two days and has formally staked his claim to form the government. Despite this, the Governor has not extended an invitation to him; instead, he has requested a letter demonstrating the support of 118 legislators.

How Many Legislators Does Vijay Have?

In fact, in the elections held on April 23, the TVK won 108 seats in the 234-member Legislative Assembly, thereby emerging as the single largest party. Although the Congress party—which holds five seats—has extended its support to the TVK, the party led by actor-turned-politician Thalapathy Vijay still falls a few seats short of the 118-seat majority mark required in the House. Meanwhile, TVK leader CTR Nirmal Kumar met today in Chennai with M. Veerpandian, the State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), and P. Shanmugam, the State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]. During this period, he sought the support of both parties for government formation in Tamil Nadu and pressed for a share in power; however, neither of these parties has extended its support to the TVK so far.

Did CPI (M) Advocate for Vijay?

Meanwhile, DMK sources revealed that party President and outgoing Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, during a meeting with leaders of alliance partners—including the Left parties—expressed his desire that they should continue to remain part of the Secular Progressive Alliance. On Thursday, M.A. Baby, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)—CPI (M)—urged Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to uphold democratic traditions and invite the TVK to form the government, noting that it has emerged as the single largest party in a hung assembly.

Were Questions Raised Over Governor's Conduct?

Addressing the political impasse in Tamil Nadu, the CPM General Secretary argued that in the absence of a clear majority—or in a scenario where a pre-poll alliance fails to secure a majority—constitutional convention dictates that the leader of the single largest party should be sworn in (to form the government). He cited the precedent set in 1996, when an invitation was extended to veteran BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Questioning the delay in issuing the invitation, Baby stated, "The Governor's office must remain above suspicion." He demanded that TVK leader Vijay be granted adequate time to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly.

Why Did BJP Come to the Governor's Defence?

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy asserted that all procedures regarding government formation would be conducted in a democratic manner and that the Governor would strictly adhere to the rules. The BJP leader stated, "I do not believe there is any confusion regarding the Raj Bhavan or the Governor. He (the Governor) will take steps in accordance with the Constitution. He will follow the rules." Conversely, TVK cadres staged a protest outside the Lok Bhavan on Thursday, demanding that Governor Arlekar grant their party chief, Vijay, permission to form the government. The protesters further asserted that the TVK has emerged as the single largest party, commanding the support of 108 MLAs, and that, in accordance with the Constitution, it is the Governor's duty to invite Vijay to form the government.

Why Did DMK Lash Out at Congress?

Meanwhile, the DMK strongly criticized the Congress party's withdrawal from the alliance led by the DMK, accusing it of "stabbing in the back" and committing an act of "betrayal" against Tamil Nadu. The DMK asserted that, in contrast, party President M.K. Stalin has demonstrated maturity and responsible conduct. Party President and outgoing Chief Minister Stalin presided over a meeting of the DMK's newly elected legislators, during which a resolution was passed that severely criticized the Congress party's "opportunistic political leanings."

The resolution stated: "The Congress has done to us in Tamil Nadu exactly what the BJP does in several states. This demonstrates that the Congress party has not shed its old character. Within our alliance, the Congress was allotted one Rajya Sabha seat and 28 Assembly seats. Yet, within just three days, by extending its support to another party, it has jeopardized the hard-fought victories achieved by its former alliance partners."