T.N. Governor asks TVK chief Vijay to produce proof of support of majority MLAs; Congress says ‘yes’ but AIADMK ‘no’

Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is learnt to have asked Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president C. Joseph Vijay, who on Wednesday evening (May 6, 2026) staked claim to form the next government, to produce letters demonstrating support of 118 MLAs, the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly.

Earlier, the Congress, which won five seats as part of the DMK alliance, snapped its over 20-year ties with the Dravidian major and extended support to the TVK. It is learnt the party could be offered two Cabinet berths if the TVK forms a coalition government.

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The TVK had won 108 seats in the recent Assembly election. Mr. Vijay has to resign one of his two seats while one would be elected the Speaker, who could vote only during a tie. Hence, with the Congress’s backing, the coalition’s numbers is only 111 and the TVK needs the backing of seven legislators.

Mr. Vijay, along with the party’s senior leaders met the Governor, who arrived in the afternoon from Kerala, where too he holds the gubernatorial post. At the Lok Bhavan, sources said Mr. Arlekar asked Mr. Vijay to demonstrate the numbers before he could be invited to form the government. Legally, the Governor is entitled to satisfy himself about such proof since the cumulative number of legislators belonging to the current DMK front (68) and AIADMK front (53) would exceed those of the legislators backing Mr. Vijay.

AIADMK senior leader K.P. Munusamy, following a meeting of legislators and functionaries chaired by party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, categorically told journalists that reports claiming the AIADMK would support the TVK “were not true”.

The DMK’s allies, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the CPI, and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, which won two seats each, said the TVK had reached out to them separately seeking support. But leaders of these parties said they would decide only after internal party meetings to be held in due course. Another DMK ally, the Indian Union Muslim League, with two legislator-elects, had earlier announced it would not extend support to the TVK.

Earlier, AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu Girish Chodankar, in a press release said the alliance with the TVK was “founded on mutual respect, appropriate share, and shared responsibility between the two parties”. This move was not only for the formation of the government “but also for future elections to local bodies, the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha”.

The “support shall be conditional upon the TVK keeping out from this alliance any communal forces that do not believe in the Constitution of India”.

Congress snaps ties with DMK; extends support to Vijay’s TVK, seeking ‘share’ in T.N. government

Mr. Chodankar said the TVK and the Congress would strive to bring back Kamaraj’s glory days in Tamil Nadu, with a strong commitment to Periyar’s social justice ideals and Ambedkar’s constitutional ideals in the years and decades to come.

“Mr. Vijay and Rahul Gandhi jointly pledge to respect this historic verdict of the people of Tamil Nadu for a secular and progressive government, and to fulfil the dreams and promises of the people — especially the youth of Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Governor dissolved the 16th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly with effect from May 5, 2026.

In the evening, some top government officials met Mr. Vijay at his residence in Foreshore Estate and extended their greetings to him.

(With inputs from Udhav Naig)