Agencies | Chennai:
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay has reached out to the Congress party seeking support to form the government in Tamil Nadu, senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal said on Tuesday.
TVK has emerged as the single largest party in the Assembly elections, securing 108 seats, but remains 10 short of the majority mark required to form the government. The Congress, which won five seats, has not yet taken a final decision on extending support.
Addressing the media, Venugopal said, “TVK President Thiru Vijay has requested the Indian National Congress for support to form a government in Tamil Nadu. He has also spoken about drawing inspiration from Perumthalaivar Kamaraj in his political mission.”
He added that the Congress views the electoral verdict as a mandate for a secular government committed to upholding constitutional values. “The party is determined not to allow the BJP or its allies to influence the government in Tamil Nadu. The Congress leadership has asked the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee to take a final decision on Vijay’s request, keeping in mind the sentiments reflected in the mandate,” he said.
Vijay won from both constituencies he contested — Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli (East). As per Election Commission rules, he will have to vacate one seat. Sources indicate he is likely to retain Perambur, which would reduce TVK’s tally to 107.
The effective strength of the Assembly could further drop to 106 after the election of the Speaker, who does not vote during a confidence motion. In that case, TVK would require the support of at least 12 additional MLAs to secure a majority.
In the DMK-led bloc, Congress holds five seats, Left parties four, DMDK one, and IUML and VCK two each. In the AIADMK alliance, PMK has four seats, while the BJP and AMMK have one seat each, making the post-poll arithmetic crucial for government formation in the state.
