When Is Vijay’s Oath? Suspense Over Tamil Nadu’s First Coalition Government

Last minute hiccups followed what appeared as a done deal last evening, with Vijay currently having just 116 MLA-elects on his side.

Chennai:

Vijay‘s biggest political moment is still in limbo, as majority remains elusive from the superstar despite scoring an election blockbuster in the Dravidian heartland of Tamil Nadu.

Last minute hiccups followed what appeared as a done deal last evening, as two smaller parties — TTV Dhinakaran’s AMMK and the Indian Union Muslim League (UML) — made it clear they wouldn’t back the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

At the center of the suspense now is the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), which has two MLAs – whose support would ensure that Vijay has the enough strength to form the government.

The VCK is expected to make its stand clear today, with sources suggesting the party’s chief Thol Thirumavalavan still holding talks with the DMK leadership.

TVK boss Vijay held hectic negotiations with the VCK, AMMK, and an UMPL MLA yesterday, but sources said he couldn’t muster their support as yet and currently has just 116 MLA-elects on his side.

The Stalemate

Vijay met Governor RV Arlekar at Lok Bhavan twice on Wednesday and Thursday but failed to convince him that he had the necessary strength to run an administration. He met him for a third time last evening, but the governor still didn’t budge.

Sources in the governor’s office said Vijay has not been invited to take the oath as chief minister since he could not prove that he had the support of 118 MLAs. The governor insisted that he must give letters of support of as many MLA-elects to prove his majority.

118 is the halfway mark in the 234-seat Tamil Nadu assembly, the required strength for a party or coalition to claim stake to the government.

The Coalition Math

There are currently only three other parties in Vijay‘s support — CPI, CPM, and Congress — with very different alliance terms. While the Left parties extended unconditional support, the Congress’ backing came with conditions. Whereas the Left opted out of Vijay’s cabinet, sources said Congress expected two ministries.

The TVK emerged the largest single party with 108 seats in the recent elections, ending the Dravidian giants DMK and AIADMK’s 62-year-old stranglehold on the government. With Vijay winning two seats, the party currently has 107 MLAs.

The Congress’s support adds five more MLAs to the TVK’s favourite, while the Left provides the backing of four MLAs. This adds up to 116 MLAs, two short of the 118-halfway mark. Vijay must get two more MLAs to support his alliance for the governor to approve of his attempts at government formation.

Until then, an oath ceremony appears unlikely.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu’s government formation process drew fresh controversy overnight on Saturday (May 9, 2026), as the TVK and the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) locked horns over the latter’s MLA allegedly extending support to Vijay. While AMMK chief T.T.V. Dhinakaran accused the TVK of submitting to the Governor the photocopy of a “forged letter” claiming it has the support of his party’s lone MLA-elect Kamaraj, the TVK shared a video, claiming that it showed Mr. Kamaraj writing his letter supporting the TVK.

Tamil Nadu Government Formation :

Actor-turned-politician Vijay met the Tamil Nadu Governor RV Arlekar today – for a third time in as many days – to try and resolve an ongoing deadlock over the formation of the next government.

At the Lok Bhavan, he staked claim to form the government. Sources in Arlekar’s office said Vijay has not been invited to take the oath as the chief minister because he could not prove the support of 118 MLAs, the majority mark in the state’s assembly. Two of Vijay’s potential allies, IUML and AMMK, have made it clear that they won’t back the party.

Vijay and Arlekar had earlier met on Wednesday and Thursday. Both times, Arlekar dismissed Vijay’s claim to form the government, arguing the TVK leader does not have the necessary support in the House.

Governor Not Convinced Vijay Has Majority, No Oath Today: Sources

For the TVK and Vijay, it appears to be the case of ‘so close, yet so far’. Two of his potential allies – IUML and AMMK – have made it clear that they will not back the party, hours after the actor-politician met Governor RV Arlekar to stake a claim to form the government, but couldn’t fulfill his condition of providing written support of at least 118 MLAs.

Sources in the Governor’s office have said that Vijay has not been invited to take the oath as the Chief Minister today because he could not prove the support of 118 MLAs, the majority mark in the state’s 234-strong Assembly.

Despite hectic negotiations with the VCK, AMMK, and an UML MLA to convince them to side with the TVK, Vijay couldn’t muster the requisite support, the sources said, adding the actor-politician has the support of 116 MLAs.

A speech delivered nearly three decades ago has resurfaced at a moment when Tamil Nadu is dealing with the consequences of a hung assembly. The largest party in terms of seats won in the recently held assembly elections — Vijay’s TVK — has not been invited to form the government and is instead seeking support from smaller parties that hold one or two seats each. The second-largest party remains outside government. The third largest party is part of the coalition, while the smallest party holds a position in government.

Against this backdrop, observers are recalling a 1997 speech by former BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, whose comments on the contradictions of coalition politics were delivered during a confidence motion debate in the Lok Sabha.

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