Chennai: Following a series of dramatic political shifts in Tamil Nadu on Saturday, the anticipated swearing-in ceremony for actor-turned-politician Vijay will reportedly face further delays. Despite meeting with Governor R V Arlekar for the third consecutive day to resolve a tightening deadlock, sources indicate that Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), is struggling to cement a stable majority.

While earlier reports suggested Vijay had crossed the "magic number" of 118 seats required to form the government, fresh developments have cast doubt on that claim. Emerging reports now suggest that after a dramatic turn of events, Vijay’s current support stands at 116 MLAs, leaving him just short of the majority mark.

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The political math was complicated by several key movements: the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has reportedly pulled its support from the TVK, and AMMK has apparently followed suit.

Governor Arlekar has remained firm during his meetings with Vijay on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On each occasion, the Governor reportedly dismissed the TVK leader’s claim, citing a lack of verifiable support within the House. Although Vijay visited the Lok Bhavan today to stake a formal claim with a list of 118 MLAs, the Governor's office remains skeptical. Consequently, the oath-taking ceremony—originally expected for Saturday at 11 am—is now unlikely to proceed as scheduled until the numbers are fully authenticated.

Meanwhile, in an unprecedented twist, political corridors are buzzing with the possibility of a "mega-merger”. Reports suggest that arch-rivals DMK and AIADMK might consider an extraordinary temporary alliance to keep the celebrity-led TVK out of power. If this materialises, it would mark the first time in over five decades that the two Dravidian giants have joined forces.
(With inputs from Agencies)