TVK Chief Vijay Meets Governor, Stakes Claim to Form Tamil Nadu Government

The Tamil Nadu Governor confirmed to ANI that he will meet TVK chief Vijay after the party claimed that it has the majority required to form the government in the state.

Speaking to ANI, the Governor said that he has received a formal letter from TVK staking claim to form the government and has scheduled a meeting with the party chief later in the day.

"I have received a letter from TVK. They will meet me in the evening. They have stated that they have the majority and they should be called for the formation of the government. Yes, I have an appointment (to TVK chief Vijay). A new govt will come now," he said.

Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Congress President K Selvaperunthagai and the party's state incharge Girish Chodankar on Wednesday met with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief Vijay at the TVK Headquarters in Chennai, confirming thier support to the debutant party in forming the next government in the state.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Selvaperunthagai said, "We have given our letter of support (to TVK). This is the party high command decision. I don't know when the oath ceremony is. He (TVK chief Vijay) will meet the Governor."

With Congress securing five seats and TVK winning 108 seats, the alliance tally stands at 113 seats, which is still five seats short of the 118 majority mark in the Assembly. In a bid to bridge the gap, TVK has also approached AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). The AIADMK has secured 47 seats in the Assembly elections and its support could help TVK comfortably cross the halfway mark.

The Congress party had earlier formally announced its full support to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and its chief Vijay in forming the next government in Tamil Nadu, ending its alliance with its previous partner, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), in a bid to back the new political formation.

Vijay's TVK delivered an outstanding performance in its debut elections, outperforming both the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which have dominated the state's political landscape for decades.

Reacting to the development, DMK leader Saravanan Annadurai criticised the Congress for shifting its support, calling the move "myopic" and accusing the party of betraying its INDIA alliance partners.

"I think this is a very short-sighted, myopic stand taken by the Congress, which they will regret. The 2029 big elections are coming, where we are very confident that we will be able to remove the BJP. But now, because of this decision by the Congress, it has made them a very unstable partner. The perception that is out in the entire country is that Congress cannot be trusted," he said.

- ANI