Vijay is expected to meet Governor R.V. Arlekar at 6 PM to formally stake claim for government formation, submitting letters of support from multiple alliance partners.
BY PC Bureau
May 8, 2026: Actor-turned-politician Thalapathy Vijay is set to become the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Vijay’s TVK has secured the support of 120 MLAs in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, crossing the majority mark and strengthening his claim to form the government.
The support includes backing from Congress (5 MLAs), CPI (32), CPM (2), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK–2), IUML (1), and PMK (1), in addition to TVK’s own 108 seats, won in its debut election.
Vijay is expected to meet Governor R.V. Arlekar at Raj Bhavan at 6 PM today and submit letters of support from the parties to formally stake claim for government formation.
Despite the claimed majority, the Governor has not yet invited Vijay to form the government. In meetings held on Wednesday and Thursday, Governor Arlekar reportedly raised concerns over the arithmetic and long-term stability of the support, particularly questioning how Vijay plans to run a coalition administration with backing ranging between 113–118 MLAs, and which alliances would be formally structured.
TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats, disrupting Tamil Nadu’s traditional Dravidian political dominance, but fell short of the 118-seat majority on its own, triggering intense post-poll negotiations.
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To strengthen its position, TVK has received conditional support from Congress, reportedly on the assurance that it will not align with “communal forces” — a reference to the BJP. The stance of other allies such as VCK and the Left parties, who were earlier aligned with the DMK, remains a crucial factor in the ongoing impasse.
Today’s meeting with the Governor is being seen as a decisive moment, with expectations that Arlekar will review Vijay’s claim based on updated numbers and written assurances of support.
Meanwhile, DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan stated that the party has held no discussions with the AIADMK regarding any alliance. He said the DMK would wait until May 10 — the deadline reportedly indicated by the Governor — to see if Vijay can secure a stable majority. The party would consult its allies only if alternative arrangements become necessary.
The AIADMK has also dismissed reports of any understanding with TVK, calling them speculative and politically motivated.
However, sources said that the DMK and AIADMK gave up the efforts to cobble together a majority after the left parties refused to support them.
