With counting trends indicating that Vijay's Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) is leading in a significant number of seats but may fall short of the 118-seat majority mark, Tamil Nadu could be headed towards a hung Assembly. Despite not reaching the halfway mark in the 234-member House, TVK's strong debut has placed it in a favourable position to explore government formation through post-poll manoeuvring.As of 7:30 pm, TVK was leading in 108 seats — 10 short of the required majority but ahead of other parties. This has set the stage for intense negotiations once the final numbers are clear.Options For TVK For Government Formation1. Support from Congress party TVK may be able to close the shortfall by winning support from the Congress party. In such a scenario, Congress could play a key role in government formation if TVK opts to sideline both DMK and AIADMK and instead align with it.This option would allow the party to form a government without entering into a major coalition. However, the trends show the Congress is ahead on only five seats.2. Post-poll tie-up with All India Anna Dravida Munnetra KazhagamA potential alliance with AIADMK could significantly boost TVK's numbers.Though they fought separately, a post-poll understanding could emerge to keep the incumbent ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam out of power.3. Issue-based support from other partiesTVK may also consider conditional backing from parties like Pattali Makkal Katchi, allowing it to lead the government while retaining flexibility.What's Next The final picture will depend on the remaining rounds of counting and the pace of political negotiations. The TVK, crossing the 100-seat mark, will emerge as the central force in government formation talks.Regardless of the outcome, TVK's performance in its debut election has already reshaped Tamil Nadu's political landscape, positioning it as a key player going forward.