Actor-turned-politician Thalapathy Vijay’s claim of majority support has been rejected by the Governor, with sources confirming he will not be invited to take oath tomorrow due to lack of verified backing from all claimed MLAs.
BY PC Bureau
May 8, 2026 — Actor-turned-politician Thalapathy Vijay has not been invited to take oath as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu tomorrow, as he has failed to conclusively demonstrate majority support in the 234-member Assembly, sources said.
According to top sources, Vijay met Governor R.V. Arlekar this evening and staked claim to form the government, asserting support from 118 MLAs—the exact halfway mark required for a majority. However, the Governor is understood to have withheld approval, citing the absence of formal and verifiable letters of support from all claimed allies.
Sources indicated that Vijay had also sought additional time, reportedly up to two weeks, to firm up his majority. The request was rejected, with the Governor questioning the need for further delay when proving numbers is a prerequisite for government formation.
This letter by #IUML makes no mention of support. It just says we will help in formation of govt. Is this what the #TVK went with? pic.twitter.com/sJO2fBWt37
— Uma Sudhir (@umasudhir) May 8, 2026
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The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which stormed into power as the single largest party with 108 seats in its electoral debut, had been engaged in intense negotiations over the past 48 hours to secure additional backing.
By evening, party leaders claimed to have stitched together support from five Congress MLAs, two each from the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the Communist Party of India, taking the projected tally to 118. However, questions reportedly persist over the formal letetr of support from VCK. Late in the evning, IUML, which has two MLAs, said it would not extend support to TVK.
Earlier in the day, the Governor had reportedly made it clear in multiple rounds of meetings that TVK must present a stable and clearly documented majority, cautioning against arithmetic based on verbal assurances alone.
The Congress is said to have extended support on the condition that TVK does not align with what it terms “communal forces,” a reference to the BJP. Meanwhile, ambiguity continues over the firm commitment of the VCK and Left parties, both of whom were earlier aligned with the DMK.
With no clear resolution yet, political uncertainty continues in Chennai, and no fresh date has been announced for the swearing-in ceremony. Party leaders remain in backchannel discussions as the Governor is expected to reassess the situation based on written confirmations of support.
