Chennai: Vijay will not take oath as Tamil Nadu chief minister on Thursday as Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is reportedly not yet satisfied that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has the required numbers to form the government, sources said.

Although the Congress has extended support and more parties are expected to join, sources indicated that TVK may need another one or two days to gather enough backing to cross the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly.

The governor has already dissolved the Assembly and later left for Kerala, where he also holds additional charge as governor.

Vijay stakes claim to form government

On Wednesday, Vijay met the governor and formally staked claim to form the next government in Tamil Nadu. Sources said TVK General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna is also expected to meet the governor along with the party’s legal team.

TVK emerged as the single largest party in the Assembly elections after winning 108 seats. The party requires at least 118 seats to secure a majority.

With the Congress contributing five seats, TVK’s tally rises to 112. However, excluding one of the two constituencies won by Vijay himself, the party still falls short by six seats.

Allies yet to finalise decision

The next challenge for TVK is to prove its majority on the floor of the House. At present, there is no confirmation regarding which parties, apart from the Congress and possible independents, are prepared to support Vijay’s government.

Leaders of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), which secured two seats, were scheduled to hold discussions in Chennai on Wednesday regarding support to TVK. However, the meeting has now been postponed to Friday.

The two Left parties have also reportedly sought time until May 8 before making a decision. Together, the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) hold four seats, with two seats each.

Current seat tally in Tamil Nadu Assembly

The election results have produced a fragmented Assembly. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won 59 seats, while the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) secured 47.

The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) won four seats. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), CPI and CPI(M) secured two seats each, while the BJP, DMDK and AMMK won one seat each.

Political circles are also discussing the possibility of an alternative arrangement involving TVK and AIADMK. Such an alliance would comfortably take TVK past the majority mark, considering AIADMK holds 47 seats.

Sources suggest that at least 30 AIADMK legislators may be open to supporting a TVK-led government.

Congress announces support

The Congress high command reportedly allowed its Tamil Nadu unit to independently decide whether to back TVK. Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar had earlier stated that the party would prefer supporting a “secular government” rather than allowing the BJP to gain power in the state.

The Congress formally announced its support to TVK on Thursday morning, following which party workers celebrated by bursting firecrackers outside the party’s Tamil Nadu headquarters.

The party, however, attached one condition to its support. It said forces that do not believe in the Constitution and communal politics should not be included in the alliance.

The DMK criticised the Congress for supporting TVK despite contesting the election together under a pre-poll alliance. DMK spokesperson Saravanan Anadurai accused the Congress of “backstabbing the people of Tamil Nadu” and alleged that the party was “self-destructing” in exchange for two ministerial berths in a TVK government.

Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed the Congress’s move showed that the Opposition alliance INDIA had effectively collapsed.

“There is nobody whom the Congress has not deceived. Imagine what they will do to the Samajwadi Party if they have done this to the DMK,” he said, calling the development the “last rites” of the INDIA bloc.

With agency inputs