E-Paper
Is TVK-Congress alliance enough for government formation in Tamil Nadu? Math explained
Congress's support to the TVK is seen as a big gain for Vijay's party which stopped short of the majority mark in the state despite winning over 100 seats.
A day after actor-politician Vijay-led TVK became the single largest party in Tamil Nadu with a surprise and stunning show in the Assembly elections, the Congress extended its support to the party. The support was seen as a big gain for Vijay's party which stopped short of the majority mark in the state despite winning over 100 seats.
However, the Congress support alone still won't get TVK the numbers it needs to breach the minimum mark in the 243-seat Assembly. Here's a look at numbers:
| Number of seats TVK won | 108 |
|---|---|
| Majority mark for form government | 118 |
| Number of seats Congress won | 5 |
| Combined tally if TVK, Cong join hands | 113 |
Going by the numbers, even if Congress and the TVK joined forces, their combined tally wouldn't be enough to reach the minimum mandate. Follow live updates on Tamil Nadu government formation.
Limited options before Vijay
Vijay is largely looking at three options in order to form a TVK-led government. One of them is garnering support from the other parties, and no, Congress won't be enough.
As stated in an earlier HT report, the CPIM, which won two seats, indicated that it would extend “creative and critical appreciation” for the next government, and so do the CPI and IUML, which have two seats each in Tamil Nadu. Together, the tally could then reach 119, safely crossing the majority mark.
The other option on the table is formation of a minority government since the TVK is the single-largest party in Tamil Nadu now. However, the road could be tricky for Vijay in this case because his party would have to rely on Opposition parties for backing to pass legislation, floor tests and confidence motions in the state Assembly.
The TVK could also bank on breaking existing coalitions in the southern state, which is what would be happening if the Congress leaves DMK's side and becomes a TVK ally.
Speculation is also ongoing that the AIADMK could support the TVK. When asked about the possibility, party spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said that Vijay would have to take the first step.
How Vijay's wins complicate matters
Even though the TVK's tally is just 10 seats short of the majority, the party would actually need at least 12 additional legislators. This is because of the 108 seats secured by the party, two of them - Tiruchirappalli East and Perambur, were won by Vijay.
As per Election Commission rules, he must vacate one seat, which would further bring down the party's tally to 107. Besides, the party would elect one Assembly Speaker, who once elected, won't vote during a confidence motion, reducing TVK's effective strength to 106.
There is no official announcement so far on the TVK and Congress forming an alliance. However, Congress leader KC Venugopal on Tuesday said that Vijay reached out. “The INC is determined not to have the BJP and its proxies run the Govt. of Tamil Nadu in any manner,” Venugopal said, hinting at Congress's willingness to back the TVK in Tamil Nadu.
