C. Joseph Vijay, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief, is on track to become Tamil Nadu’s next Chief Minister with the backing of 120 MLAs, surpassing the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) recently declared its support for Vijay, further strengthening his position. Additionally, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) has also thrown its support behind TVK, aiding Vijay in securing the necessary numbers for government formation.
Tamil Nadu recently held elections for all 234 Assembly constituencies on April 23, resulting in a competitive four-way race involving the DMK, AIADMK, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), and TVK. Following the declaration of results on May 4, where TVK emerged as the largest party with 108 seats, Vijay’s strategic decision to retain one seat consolidated his effective strength to 107. Subsequently, intense political negotiations ensued in Chennai as TVK engaged with various parties to garner support for its government formation bid.
With the CPI, CPI(M), Congress, VCK, and IUML rallying behind Vijay, he has comfortably exceeded the halfway mark required to establish the government. Vijay is reportedly seeking an urgent meeting with Governor Arlekar to present the letters of support from allied parties and formally stake his claim to form the government. TVK’s general secretary Aadhav Arjuna has indicated that Vijay is poised to take oath as the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, sparking jubilation among party members statewide.
