CHENNAI: The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) on Saturday evening formally extended support to the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), ending four days of hectic negotiations and high political drama over government formation in Tamil Nadu.
TVK MLA-elect Aadhav Arjuna, former VCK deputy general secretary, confirmed the development by showing reporters the letter of support a little after 4 pm, the time the VCK leadership had earlier indicated it would announce its decision.
Shortly after the VCK, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), led by K M Kader Mohideen, extended unconditional support to the TVK for government formation, with TVK leaders K A Sengottaiyan and K G Arunraj receiving the support letter from the IUML chief. On Saturday evening, the IUML had backed DMK president MK Stalin’s stand that the Governor should invite the single largest party to form the government, a remark initially seen as indirect support for the TVK before the party went on to clarify it remained with the DMK-led SPA.
With the support of the VCK and IUML, the TVK-led combine has now crossed the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly. The tally includes TVK’s 107 MLAs-elect (minus Vijay’s second seat), Congress’s 5, CPI’s 2, CPM’s 2, VCK’s 2 and IUML’s support, taking the alliance strength to 120. With Vijay expected to resign one of the two seats he won, the effective strength of the Assembly would come down to 233, bringing the halfway mark to 117.
Celebrations erupted outside party offices soon after the announcement, with cadres raising slogans of “CM Vijay” and “TVK, TVK”.
The VCK had delayed announcing its stand despite repeatedly stating that party chief Thol Thirumavalavan would take a decision jointly with the Left parties. The uncertainty continued even after the CPI(M) and CPI extended outside support to TVK, letting Vijay reach within touching distance of the throne. On Friday night, after chairing the party’s online high-level committee meeting, Thirumavalavan had also met DMK president MK Stalin at his residence.
Sources had told DT Next that the VCK had placed several demands before the TVK leadership, including the Deputy Chief Minister’s post for Thirumavalavan, Cabinet berths for its two MLAs-elect, and the Tiruchy East Assembly constituency, which Vijay is reportedly planning to vacate. According to sources, the TVK had agreed in principle to some of the demands, while indicating that the remaining issues could be discussed later.
However, even with the VCK and IUML backing the TVK and the numbers now in place, another hurdle has emerged. Congress leaders Girish Chodankar, Nivedith Alva and K Selvaperunthagai met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar a short while after the VCK and IUML announcements on Saturday. They are expected to submit a representation alleging horse-trading attempts involving Congress MLAs-elect and inform the Governor that they were moved to Hyderabad to prevent alleged poaching attempts.
Another hurdle remains in the form of AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran’s complaint to Governor-in-charge RV Arlekar.
Dhinakaran on late Friday night had alleged that the TVK used a forged letter to show support from AMMK’s lone MLA-elect S Kamaraj and raised suspicions of horse-trading. TVK, however, released a video purportedly showing Kamaraj writing the letter himself. Dhinakaran has since lodged a police complaint.
On Saturday, Dhinakaran continued to bring it up, asking where the original copy of the alleged support letter was and why only a copy had been circulated. He also sought to know where the video purportedly showing Kamaraj signing the document was filmed, and questioned the delay in producing the original letter.
What Arlekar does next, and whether he will finally invite Vijay to stake claim to form the government despite the AMMK complaint, is the question on everyone's mind.
(With Bureau inputs)
