Tamil Nadu Government Formation Updates: Vijay to take oath as chief minister tomorrow as TVK secures majority support

On the delay in Vijay's swearing-in ceremony, CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby says, "TVK, which was given the mandate by the people, but remains 11 short of majority. If they are not being given the opportunity to form govt then it is clear sabotage of the democratic and electoral process initiated from Delhi or Nagpur, I don't know. So far, Tamil Nadu has resisted fascistic RSS, and this has to continue. We wish and hope Vijay will also take a fair position on this, and we believe him on this. There was a move to have a govt led by AIADMK which is being rejected by the people..."

On Tamil Nadu politics, Senior Advocate and Former Attorney General of India, Mukul Rohatgi says, "... According to me, Vijay should have been asked by the Governor on day one to come and form the government. Even if he was ten short of the magic number, it did not matter. It is settled law, through constitutional conventions, that the leader of the largest party is called. He is allowed to gather support and form a stable government within one or two weeks. That is the practice, and it has always been done in the past."

"Sometimes the opportunity is given, and the person fails to secure a majority; sometimes, when time is given, they prove it. Remember, even a minority government can function if others abstain — the best example being the Narasimha Rao government in the Lok Sabha, which lasted a long time despite being a minority. The problem now is that the Governor is creating a crisis by assuming the role of the Assembly, demanding proof of 118 or whatever the number is. That is completely wrong. After such a huge election, to face either a fresh election or President’s Rule is not desired by anyone. The public has given its mandate. Thousands of crores are spent on elections, with immense manpower and hours invested. Then they say that a person who has 108 or 110 seats is not to be given a chance. It has never happened."

On the govt formation in Tamil Nadu, Union MoS & BJP leader L. Murugan says, " The (BJP) party has no role in this issue. BJP is being unnecessarily dragged into the matter." (ANI)

Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran has issued a statement on the state Assembly election results, saying that the party respects "the will of the people of Tamil Nadu and the election results." The party only won one seat.

"BJP wholeheartedly accepts the election results. Furthermore, we believe that the people have not given the BJP any opportunity or power to form the government in Tamil Nadu in this election. We deeply respect the will of the people of Tamil Nadu and the election results. Therefore, the Tamil Nadu BJP does not want to be associated with any attempt to form a new government in Tamil Nadu. The party does not want to take any direct part in any attempt to form the government. Furthermore, we inform the people that we will not vote for any party that is involved in the attempt to form the government," it read.

Visuals of TVK youth wing staging a protest in Madurai and condemning Governor Rajendra Arlekar for not inviting party to form government.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said that if there is an election in Tamil Nadu, the single largest party should be given a chance to form the government.

Citing judicial interpretations, He said there should be no scope for President's Rule and that the single largest party must be allowed to form the government.

Referring to actor-turned-public figure Vijay, Abdullah added that he should be invited to form the government if he can prove his majority in the Assembly, failing which he would be expected to resign.

Speaking to Reporters, Abdullah said, "If we go by the Supreme Court's directives, there should be no President's rule. There are so many cases in which the Supreme Court has clearly said that after the elections, the single largest party should be invited to form the government. Vijay should be given a chance to form the government. If he can prove his numbers in the assembly, then he will stay; otherwise he will have to resign." (ANI)

When asked if an alliance between the DMK and AIADMK could be formed, DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan says, "I don't know. There's no such idea as of now."

When asked if DMK will try to form the government, he says, "The Governor has given time until the 10th. We'll have to wait and see. If he (Vijay) can't form the government, we'll reconsider, talk to our allies, and decide."

On the possibility of outside support from the AIADMK, he says, "They (TVK) have 112 MLAs. They're trying. Let's see what happens. Only then can we think of an alternative."

Congress MP Manickam Tagore accused the BJP of using the Governor to "buy" time and legislators.

"In a democracy, people decide who will form the Government...BJP is using Governor to ‘buy’ Time and MLAs. Don’t worry, people are with us and buyers like you will have egg of their face," he said.

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Udhagamandalam constituency, M. Bhojarajan, on Friday arrived at the BJP state headquarters Kamalalayam in Chennai, T Nagar.

A consultative meeting regarding the recently concluded elections will be held with the presence of Tamil Nadu BJP State President Nainar Nagendran at Kamalalayam, the Tamil Nadu BJP state headquarters. (ANI)

Tamil Nadu Congress on Friday staged a protest against the BJP-led Union government and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar for not inviting TVK Chief Vijay to form the next government despite his party emerging as the single-largest formation in the Assembly elections.

A protest was also held near Jhansi Rani Park in Madurai by the Congress party. Congress has offered conditional support to the TVK's Vijay to form a government in Tamil Nadu and severed its ties with the DMK.

Earlier, TVK supporters staged a protest outside the Lok Bhavan in Chennai, demanding that the Governor invite Vijay to form the government. (ANI)

Terming his party's decision to ally with the TVK in Tamil Nadu as "dreadful", veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Friday said it smacked of "low political opportunism" and asserted that if the move facilitates the backdoor entry of a "communal BJP" into the Dravidian state then it would prove to be the worst own goal in the history of political football.

Aiyar said he cannot imagine the fathers of the Indian National Congress blessing such a "politics of expediency".

Speaking with PTI, Aiyar said the Congress' decision to jump ship immediately after an election fought with the DMK to plunge into a relationship with the very TVK that took "us on in the 23 assembly segments we lost and the five we won only days ago", was "dreadful". (PTI)

As the stalemate in Tamil Nadu continues, AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP M Thambidurai on Friday said that the party is engaged in multiple discussions, expressing confidence that his party will come back to form the government in the state.

Addressing reporters, Thambidurai said, "So many discussions are going on. I cannot say anything now. We hope good things will happen. My party, my leader will come back. There is a public sentiment that AIADMK has to come to power. That may happen in the due course of time with the grace of God."

AIADMK has emerged as the third-largest party with 47 seats, significantly behind Vijay TVK (108 seats) and MK Stalin's DMK (57 seats). However, with no party crossing the majority mark, AIADMK's seats become crucial as all three parties attempt to gain power by forming alliances. (ANI)

The CPI convened a meeting of its state executive committee on Friday to decide on supporting the TVK post-poll to form the government, the party said.

The party's Tamil Nadu secretary, M Veerapandian, said his party would respond to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief Vijay's letter seeking support.

The CPI won two seats in the April 23 Assembly election. (PTI)

The Thol Thirumavalavan-led VCK will meet on Friday to make a crucial decision on supporting Vijay's TVK in government formation, PTI reported.

VCK has been a trusted ally of the DMK facing several elections together. The party has secured two seats in the April 23 Assembly election.

AIADMK national spokesperson Kovai Sathyan hit out at TVK over its claims of being the single largest party and criticised its alliance with Congress, ANI reported.

"TVK is the one that gave a confession, claiming that we are the single largest party with 108 seats, and we have the support of 5 more. So, the Governor is duty-bound to ask, 'Where are the other 5?" Sathyan said on Friday.

On the Congress alliance with TVK, he added, "118 seats are needed and adding Congress's 5 seats would not save TVK. Congress has put a hole in a ship, and it's like helping the ship sink faster."