Tamil Nadu witnessed a day of extraordinary political suspense on Friday as shifting alliances, mixed signals from key parties and frantic behind-the-scenes negotiations left actor-politician Vijay teetering between becoming chief minister and falling short of the numbers needed to form government.
What began as a breakthrough for Vijay after securing support from the Congress and Left parties soon spiralled into uncertainty as crucial allies wavered, fresh disputes erupted, and rival camps launched last-minute moves to block his path to power.
Even after Vijay met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to stake claim, the central question remained unresolved: does he actually have the numbers?
The majority puzzle
Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam appeared to inch close to government formation after support from the Indian National Congress, Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist) reportedly pushed its tally to 116 seats in the 234-member Assembly.
But while supporters claimed outside backing had effectively crossed the majority threshold, Vijay is believed to have presented signatures of only 116 MLAs to the Governor — still two short of the required 118.
VCK keeps everyone guessing
The biggest uncertainty came from the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi.
The party initially signalled support for a Vijay-led government and even held internal consultations. But by evening, it released a statement citing confusion over media reports and said party chief Thol Thirumavalavan would announce the official position only on Saturday.
That ambiguity reportedly sent TVK leaders scrambling to establish contact with Thirumavalavan.
Deputy CM demand stalls talks
The suspense quickly escalated into a power-sharing standoff.
Sources claimed VCK demanded the Deputy Chief Minister’s post for Thirumavalavan in exchange for support, while TVK was willing to offer only the Urban Affairs portfolio.
The disagreement reportedly stalled final negotiations.
IUML shuts the door
Early speculation suggested the Indian Union Muslim League might support TVK.
But the party later firmly rejected the reports, reiterating its commitment to the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and dealing a blow to Vijay’s calculations.
Missing MLAs and resort politics fears
As the numbers game intensified, reports emerged that four Congress MLAs had allegedly left for Hyderabad, reviving fears of “resort politics.”
At the same time, TTV Dhinakaran claimed his party MLA Kamaraj had gone missing amid the high-stakes political drama.
Forgery allegations spark fresh controversy
Dhinakaran accused TVK of submitting a forged support letter bearing Kamaraj’s signature.
TVK countered by releasing what it said was video evidence showing Kamaraj signing the letter with Dhinakaran’s approval.
Despite that, Dhinakaran filed a formal complaint alleging forgery.
AIADMK enters late
In another dramatic twist, Dhinakaran met the Governor and urged him to invite Edappadi K Palaniswami of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to form the government instead.
The move suggested efforts were underway to assemble an alternative anti-TVK arrangement.
DMK accused of backchannel strategy
MA Baby alleged that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam had explored extending outside support to an AIADMK-led government purely to block Vijay.
According to him, Left parties rejected the proposal, insisting the single-largest party deserved the first chance.
Left rallies behind Vijay
The Left defended its dramatic backing of Vijay as both constitutional and ideological.
MA Baby accused the BJP of trying to influence the process through the Governor’s office and argued that supporting TVK was necessary to defend secularism, federalism and the people’s mandate.
As Tamil Nadu heads into another crucial day, Vijay’s chief ministerial dream remains tantalisingly close — yet still uncertain.
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