Tamil Nadu govt formation news HIGHLIGHTS: VCK keeps TVK on edge, Vijay unlikely to take oath today

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: In a letter extending its ‘unconditional support’ to Vijay's TVK, the CPI said, “Under the instructions of our Party Secretary, M. Veerapandian, I, T. Ramachandran, as the Leader of the Legislature Party of Communist Party of India, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on behalf of our two Members of Legislative Assembly, do hereby convey our unconditional support to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam under the leadership of its President and Legislature Party Leader, Mr. C. Joseph Vijay, for the purpose of formation of the Government in the State of Tamil Nadu.”

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: The Communist Party of India has extended ‘unconditional support’ to Vijay-led TVK for government formation in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Friday defended his party's decision to support a broader opposition alignment involving the Vijay-led TVK in Tamil Nadu, saying the move was guided by the need to protect constitutional values and strengthen democratic forces against the BJP.

Actor-turned-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam won 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly. The Congress, with five seats, was the first to announce support to him amid an impasse in government formation since results were declared on May 4.

The Congress leadership believes alliance decisions should not be viewed merely through electoral arithmetic but through the larger objective of safeguarding democracy and the Constitution, Sapkal said.

Sapkal rejected the allegation that the Congress had backstabbed and betrayed DMK, its ally in the assembly polls in the southern state.

Even if the Congress had supported the DMK, there was no chance of forming a government in Tamil Nadu, Sapkal pointed out.

via PTI

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Amid ongoing political negotiations to form a government in Tamil Nadu following a fractured mandate, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Kamraj on Friday expressed confidence that the party will secure "full majority" support and praised smaller parties, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), for what he described as "accepting people's mandate."

Regarding Vijay's meeting with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Kamraj said that the TVK Chief will stake a claim to form a government in the state, affirming confidence in TVK rule in the state.

"At present, TVK is going to gain the full majority. Vijay is going to meet the Governor at 4.30 pm to stake a claim to form Govt. We are very happy to see that CPI, CPI(M) and VCK have accepted the people's mandate to form the Govt and make Vijay the CM of Tamil Nadu," he said.

via ANI

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: TVK workers and supporters were seen celebrating outside the party headquarters in Chennai, amid reports of CPI, CPI(M) and VCK extending support to the party.

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday said that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) should be given a chance to prove their majority as per the democratic tradition of the country, saying that the TVK deserves the first opportunity.

Speaking at a press conference, he said, "Look, according to the rules, the Governor should invite the single largest party. This is my understanding. If the Governor asks for numbers before extending an invitation, it doesn't look good for the office. The party with the highest number of seats, in this case, Vijay TV, should be invited first. If they fail to prove their majority, that's a different matter, but they deserve the first opportunity. This is a democratic tradition in our country, and I believe the Governor should uphold it."

via ANI

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: The Vijay-led TVK dethroned MK Stalin's DMK in s stellar debut poll results for which were announced on May 4. However, with just 108 seats, it lacked the strength to form a stable government. It was then approached by the Congress with its five seats, yet it was still short of the magic number 118.

But with a push from CPI(M), CPI and VCK, the TVK is now in a position for stake claim for government formation. Here is a party-wise tally fo TVK's alliance partners:

TVK- 108 seats

Congress- 5 seats

CPI- 2 seats

CPI(M)- 2 seats

VCK- 2 seats

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Amid the buzz over TVK's alliance with CPI(M), CPI and VCK, TVK joint general secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar is at CPI Headquarters in Chennai.

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: The suspense over Tamil Nadu government formation has finally been put to rest. This was after three smaller parties extended their support to Vijay. These parties are: VCK, CPM and CPI. The Congress, much to the dismay of its INDIA alliance partner DMK, had already extended its support to TVK after the results were announced on May 4.

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Vijay-led TVK has finally secured the magic number of 118 required to form a stable government in Tamil Nadu. The TVK had secured 108 seats, and was short fo 10 more seats to stake claim for government formation. With the support from smaller parties, the TVK has now reached the halfway mark of 118.

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: The police on Friday detained several supporters of Vijay-led TVK who were protesting outside Lok Bhavan in Chennai, amid the political developments over party chief Vijay's swearing-in suspense.

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: TVK chief Vijay's meeting with the governor on Friday evening will be his third since May 4 when the votes for the Tamil Nadu assembly elections were counted. Vijay-led TVK shocked MK Stalin's DMK by securing 108 seats in its stellar debut.

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: TVK chief Vijay is likely to meet governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar in the evening today amid the buzz over Tamil Nadu government formation, PTI reported quoting official sources.

Tamil Nadu government formation news LIVE: The Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP will not align with any party, or participate in any activity linked to the government formation in the state, the party said in a statement on Friday. Accepting the mandate, the Tamil Nadu BJP said, “he election results are gracefully accepted by our party and we feel that the people of Tamil Nadu have not given any mandate for BJP to form the government. We sincerely respect the will and the mandate of the people of Tamil Nadu and do not wish to align our party in any attempt to form the new government in the state of Tamil Nadu. Therefore, we do not wish any active participation in this process and will not vote for any party in the attempt to form the government.”

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: AIADMK leader Nirmala Periyasamy on Friday termed the reports of a possible a DMK and AIADMK alliance as ‘rumours’. As the Tamil Nadu assembly elections ended with a hung mandate, the Congress announced an alliance with Vijay's TVK, much to the surprise of the DMK, its INDIA bloc alliance partner.

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar slammed his own party for deciding to ally with the TVK in Tamil Nadu. He said, "In November 1925, a hundred years ago, Mahatma Gandhi laid down the injunction in his Gujarati magazine, Navjeevan, that Swaraj should mean government by morality. And it is this injunction that has been violated by the Congress Party, Mahatma Gandhi's party, in the recent decision to jump ship and join the TVK. After having opposed the TVK in the last election. Such politics of expediency is not the way forward. There's also a certain political flat-footedness involved in this decision because we thought that by defecting from the DMK alliance, the other smaller members of the alliance, smaller even than us, would also defect, but none of them has defected. And therefore, we are left absolutely in limbo, we have committed the immorality of joining Vijay but also committed the political stupidity of not ensuring that he has a majority. So, there is a hung assembly, and we are hanging in the air. Is this either good sense or good politics or good morality? What criterion is satisfied by this kind of politics of expediency? I don't think we can move forward with this kind of politics."

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: CPI general secretary D Raja said that his party's stance on whether or not to support Vijay's TVK will be announced this evening. "Our party in Tamil Nadu is discussing. Here (Delhi) also we are engaged in consultation. By evening things will be more clear, and we will announce the decision", he told PTI videos.

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Congress, VCK and CPI have said that Vijay should be invited to form a government in Tamil Nadu, following which he can prove majority on the floor of the House. Karnataka deputy chief minister and Congress leader DK Shivakumar said it was “unfair” to keep Vijay waiting.

Congress has backed the TVK with five seats but the VCK and other Left parties are yet to decide on extending support.

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Reacting to reports suggesting plans for an alliance between the AIADMK and DMK, AIADMK leader Nirmala Periyasamy told the media: "These are just rumours..."

The DMK won 59 seats in the Assembly elections and the AIADMK won 47.

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar criticised his own party for allying with the TVK and backing it up with five more seats. He said that doing so was “not the way forward”, adding that the party committed “political stupidity” by not ensuring that the TVK doesn't reach majority.

“There's also a certain political flat-footedness involved in this decision because we thought that by defecting from the DMK alliance, the other smaller members of the alliance, smaller even than us, would also defect, but none of them has defected. And therefore, we are left absolutely in limbo, we have committed the immorality of joining Vijay but also committed the political stupidity of not ensuring that he has a majority,” Aiyar told PTI.

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: The Tamil Nadu Congress has reportedly warned to lay siege to the Raj Bhavan if the Tamil Nadu Governor does not invite TVK's Vijay to form the government. Vijay's party is about 10 seats short of the 118 mark, and about five despite Congress's backing.

“The Governor of Tamil Nadu is functioning as an agent of the BJP. As per the law, the Governor must invite the TVK to form the government. If the Governor fails to invite the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam to form the government, we will lay siege to the Raj Bhavan,” Madurai City Congress President Nallamani was quoted as saying by ANI.

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan seemed to be ruling out the possibility of an alliance with the AIADMK as of now.

“I don't know. There's no such idea as of now,” he said. On asked whether the DMK would want to form a government, he said: "The Governor has given time until the 10th. We'll have to wait and see. If he (Vijay) can't form the government, we'll reconsider, talk to our allies, and decide."

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Sinthanai Selvan took a dig at TVK chief Vijay, saying he should've met leaders in person for support and not through “WhatsApp”.

“Shouldn't Vijay have met in person with the political party leaders he wishes to seek support from right away?,” the leader tweeted, further writing: "How are we to understand sending a letter via WhatsApp asking for support and then saying "respond"?

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: TVK chief Vijay congratulated students as results for Class 12 exams of HSE in the state were announced on Friday. “This victory is the recognition earned by your hard work. Step forward with confidence towards the next phase of higher education. At the same time, those who couldn't achieve success this time should not lose heart. Try again," he wrote on X.

Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan on Friday said that the party would convene to discuss the current political situation in Tamil Nadu, including an invitation from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) seeking support for government formation.