Tamil Nadu government formation: DMK rejects overtures from AIADMK, sources say

The AIADMK is learnt to have sent feelers to the DMK seeking support to form a government in Tamil Nadu where the elections resulted in a hung Assembly. The DMK leadership, however, gave short shrift to the proposal, sources said. The DMK “was firm on sitting in the Opposition”, as it was not interested in going against the people’s mandate.

DMK’s Lok Sabha MP Kalanidhi Veeraswamy said that the DMK has decided to function as an Opposition party in the State, claiming that it was the AIADMK that was working against the TVK forming the government in the State. “DMK has decided to function as an effective opposition despite congress betrayal (and perhaps other alliance parties) . ADMK IS PUSHING BJP TO STOP TVK FORMING GOVT. That is disrespecting people’s mandate. Hope democracy prevails,” Mr. Veeraswamy said in a post on X.

Earlier in the day, the AIADMK categorically ruled out support for the regime likely to be formed by the TVK. AIADMK’s deputy general secretary K.P. Munusamy confirmed this in a conversation with The Hindu. Following a meeting chaired by AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Mr. Munusamy rejected all reports claiming that his party would support the TVK. Giving no explanation for the decision, Mr. Munusamy said, “Ours is a big institution. This observations explains everything, isn’t it?”

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On Tuesday (May 5, 2026), former Finance Minister C. Ponnaiyan told The Hindu, “We are an ally of the BJP. How does the question of my party supporting the TVK or taking support from the TVK arise?” However, later in the day, the tone for the reconsideration of the stance was set by Leema Rose, the newly-elected AIADMK legislator from Lalgudi, who told the media that negotiations were in progress between Mr. Palaniswami and the TVK over the formation of a government.

Meanwhile, TVK chief Vijay met with Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and staked claim to form government in the State. Mr. Arlekar has reportedly asked Mr. Vijay to produce letters demonstrating support of 118 MLAs, the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly. The Governor is legally allowed to ask for such proof since the number of legislators belonging to the DMK (68) and the AIADMK (53) camps would exceed the number of legislators backing Mr. Vijay.

Earlier in the day, the Congress severed ties with the DMK and offered conditional support to the TVK, saying that Mr. Vijay should not seek the support of the BJP or any of its allies to form government.

DMK’s allies, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the CPI, and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, which won two seats each, also said that 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 the coming days. Another DMK ally, the Indian Union Muslim League, with two seats, had announced that it would not extend support to the TVK.