New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Thursday turned down the government formation bid of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) President C. Joseph Vijay, stating that the party had failed to establish the requisite majority support in the state Legislative Assembly.
According to an official press release from Raj Bhavan, the governor summoned Vijay to Lok Bhavan in Chennai on Thursday and conveyed that the numerical strength required to form a government in the Tamil Nadu Assembly had not been demonstrated by the TVK-led alliance.
The TVK alliance, which received support from the Congress party, commands 113 seats in the Assembly – five short of the 118-seat majority mark required to form a government. The party had also reached out to the Communist Party of India and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi to join the alliance, but both parties have yet to announce a decision, according to reports.
Despite the shortfall, Vijay urged the governor to allow him to form the government, arguing in a letter that the alliance would be in a position to prove its majority on the floor of the House within a fortnight. The TVK chief also cited precedent, pointing out that the single largest party has previously been invited to form the government even without a confirmed majority, and requested Arlekar to reconsider his position on those grounds.
Vijay had first called on the governor on Wednesday evening, during which the governor expressed reservations about the party’s arithmetic. On Thursday, Vijay returned to press his case, but the governor remained unconvinced.
During the meeting, the governor questioned whether Vijay’s claim to the majority was based on the assumption of potential future support from smaller parties, and raised concerns about the stability of any government formed on such a basis. He asked Vijay to clearly demonstrate how he intended to prove a majority on the floor of the House, and sought written letters of support from each of the parties he had indicated were backing his alliance.
The governor’s refusal leaves the political situation in Tamil Nadu unresolved, with the TVK-led alliance now under pressure to either secure additional support or explore other constitutional options to stake a fresh and stronger claim to power.
