VCK joins Vijay’s coalition: Thirumavalavan delivers letter of support to TVK to bridge majority gap
Chennai: Resolving weeks of political ambiguity, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) on Saturday announced its unconditional support for the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), clearing the path for actor-politician Vijay to form the next government in Tamil Nadu.
The TVK leader is expected to meet with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar shortly to formally stake his claim to the chief ministership. The announcement was confirmed by TVK official Adhav Arjuna, who signalled an end to the speculation surrounding the state’s new administration.
Vanni Arasu, the VCK legislature party leader, has submitted a formal communiqué to Governor Arlekar affirming the party's backing of the TVK.
"Victory," Arjuna told reporters, expressing his gratitude toward the Congress, the Left parties, and VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, MP, for their endorsements. He stated his firm conviction that the TVK founder-president is poised to become the state’s next Chief Minister.
The Path to a Majority
According to VCK insiders, the party intends to provide "outside support" to the TVK for its inaugural term in power. This backing is the final piece of the legislative puzzle for Vijay’s party.
- The Threshold: In the 234-member Assembly, a party requires 118 seats to reach a simple majority.
- The Current Tally: The TVK initially secured 108 seats in the April 23 elections. However, because Vijay won in two separate constituencies, his mandatory resignation from one seat will reduce the party’s direct strength to 107.
- The Coalition Build: To overcome the initial 10-seat deficit, the TVK reached out to traditional DMK allies. The combined strength of the supporting parties—the Congress (5), the CPI (2), the CPI(M) (2), and the VCK (2)—totals 11 seats.
With these 11 supporting legislators added to the TVK’s 107, the coalition has successfully reached the 118-seat majority mark, effectively ending the DMK's hold on the state government.
The result marks a historic shift in Tamil Nadu politics, as a maiden political entity successfully navigated the state's complex alliance system to secure the mandate within its first electoral cycle. Final preparations for the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan are reportedly underway.