Two days. Two meetings. Two attempts to convince the Raj Bhavan. And still no green signal for Vijay to form the government in Tamil Nadu.
A day after the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief first met
Governor RV Arlekar to stake claim to power, Vijay returned to the Raj Bhavan on Thursday with hopes of breaking the deadlock.
However, sources said Arlekar remained unconvinced that TVK has the numbers required to cross the halfway mark in the 234-member House. “How will you prove the numbers on the floor of the House,” the Governor is said to have asked the actor-turned-politician.
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TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the 2026 assembly election with 108 seats, a stunning debut for Vijay’s first electoral outing, but still short of the 118-seat majority mark. Congress extended support to the party, yet TVK continues to fall short, especially after Vijay won from two constituencies and is expected to vacate one seat.
Wednesday’s meeting had already ended without an invitation to form the government. Thursday’s follow-up meeting was seen within TVK as an attempt to reassure the Governor that more support letters were being lined up. However, the numbers puzzle appears unresolved.
According to sources, TVK had sought legal advice and urged the Governor to take another look at its claim to form the government. The Governor, sources said, had assured the party that the matter would be examined. TVK had argued that there is precedent for inviting the single largest party to form the government even without crossing the majority mark on its own.
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The uncertainty has also cast a shadow over Vijay’s expected swearing-in ceremony. Preparations had begun at Chennai’s Nehru Stadium earlier this week, with TVK sources initially hopeful of an oath-taking ceremony by Thursday. But with the Governor insisting on concrete proof of majority support, the ceremony now hangs in limbo.
Complicating matters further for TVK is the refusal of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to openly back Vijay’s claim. Reports suggest AIADMK internally discussed the possibility of extending support but ultimately ruled it out publicly.
Meanwhile, outgoing chief minister MK Stalin struck a restrained tone, saying he would “wait” for Vijay to form the government and that his party would not disturb TVK for six months, amid speculation over shifting alliances and political manoeuvring in the state.
For now, the fate of Tamil Nadu remains in political suspense: the mandate has disrupted the state’s traditional Dravidian duopoly, but the arithmetic to convert victory into government is still incomplete. And after two straight meetings with the Governor in two days, Vijayis yet to get the one answer he needs—a resounding yes.
