The political deadlock in Tamil Nadu finally ended on May 9 after the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) announced their support for Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The party, in its statement, has extended “unconditional support” to TVK to form the government.
Adding the VCK numbers to those of the two communist parties, who had promised support earlier, brings the TVK’s seat tally up to 118 (excluding Vijay’s second seat), allowing Vijay to stake a claim to form the next state government.
The VCK, TNM has learnt, went through several rounds of discussions with the TVK to arrive at a formula for support. Though VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan had publicly said the party would go with what the Left decides, the VCK’s announcement was delayed by a day because the party had already decided that it wanted to be part of Vijay’s Cabinet, unlike the Left parties, which opted to extend support from outside.
According to a top VCK leader, while Thirumavalavan himself rejected the proposal, several leaders within the party wanted him to be made deputy chief minister in a possible TVK-led government. The initial discussions took place within the VCK, with Thirumavalavan resisting the idea.
Sources said though the idea was broached with the TVK, it was initially decided that the VCK could be part of the Cabinet. However, later VCK decided that it would provide only outside support to the government.
VCK’s Tindivanam MLA Vanni Arasu told Thanthi TV that several of them wished Thirumavalavan would become the Deputy CM. He added that their leader would take a final decision on joining the cabinet.
Another VCK source said that while certain demands were indeed raised during discussions, the party had decided that irrespective of whether the demand was accepted or rejected, it would extend support to the TVK government.
For the VCK, the development marks a significant political moment, as the party is set to become part of Tamil Nadu’s first coalition government, if Vijay passes the floor test.
“Share in governance and in power. This is the time of Thiruma. Let's rise higher and higher,” VCK leader Vanni Arasu posted on May 8.
While discussions were still underway, Thol Thirumavalavan met MK Stalin on the night of May 8. Sources in the VCK told TNM that the meeting was only a courtesy call and that Stalin had asked the Left parties and the VCK to keep him informed about whatever decision they eventually took regarding an alliance.
Soon after securing letters of support from the Left parties, Vijay and other TVK leaders met Governor Rajendra Arlekar on May 6 to stake a claim to form the government. Following the letter from VCK, they will meet the Governor again.
Meanwhile, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) founder TTV Dhinakaran accused TVK of submitting a forged letter to the Governor claiming support from AMMK’s lone MLA-elect, S Kamaraj.
He further alleged that Kamaraj had briefly gone missing and said repeated attempts to contact him had failed. Dhinakaran suggested that TVK leaders could be behind the MLA-elect's disappearance. Hours later, around midnight, Kamaraj appeared at the Lok Bhavan alongside Dhinakaran and alleged that TVK representatives submitted a photocopy of a purported support letter signed by Kamaraj.
After the Congress walked out of its alliance with the DMK to support TVK, all eyes were on the Left and VCK. Angered by the snub from Congress, the DMK was in talks with their arch-rival, the AIADMK, in a bid to cobble together a post-poll alliance.
On May 7, Governor Rajendra Arlekar said the TVK had not been able to prove a majority and asked Vijay to come back with the numbers.
Pockets of protests by the TVK and Congress broke out in Chennai on May 8, both of whom accused the Governor of disrespecting the public’s mandate.
The number game
The TVK won in 108 constituencies. However, Vijay will have to vacate one of the two seats he won from — Perambur or Trichy (East). This will take TVK’s number down to 107. Further, since TVK is the single largest party, one member will become the Speaker, whose vote shall only be utilised in case of a tie-breaker. So effectively, TVK will have 106 seats in the House.
During a floor test, votes are counted only based on the MLAs present in the House. In this case, the full strength of the Assembly will be 232. TVK will need 117 to pass a floor test.
With five seats from Congress, four from communist parties and two each from VCK and IUML, Vijay will have 119 seats.
