Actor-turned-politician Vijay is likely to resign from the Tiruchirappalli (East) Assembly seat he won in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, NDTV reported, citing sources on Tuesday. He is expected to retain his Perambur constituency seat.
Vijay's party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), ended the 62-year dominance of the state's traditional Dravidian heavyweights, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). The DMK was restricted to 59 seats while the AIADMK secured 47, clearing the path for Vijay to become the first film icon to ascend to the Chief Minister's office since J Jayalalithaa in 1991.
Seat-Sharing Math
Despite the surge, TVK remains 10 seats shy of the 118-seat majority mark, necessitating immediate post-poll negotiations with potential partners including the Congress, the Left parties, or the AIADMK to solidify a governing coalition.
ALSO READ: Vijay's TVK Explores Alliances As Party Falls Short Of Majority To Form Government
Two-Seat Win Rules
Following the announcement of election results, the winning candidate, in this case Vijay, now faces a 14-day statutory deadline to vacate one of his two contested seats, as mandated by Section 70 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Failure to resign from one of the positions within the two-week window will result in specific legal consequences regarding his status as an elected representative.
The TVK leader demonstrated significant personal popularity by winning both constituencies he contested. In a high-stakes battle for Trichy (East), Vijay defeated the DMK's Inigo Irudayaraj by a margin of more than 27,000 votes, complementing his additional victory in the Perambur segment by above 53,000 votes.
By winning in Perambur, the TVK leader successfully flipped a constituency held by the DMK since 2019, challenging the party's traditionally dominant base in the northern corridors of the capital city, Chennai.
The victory in Trichy (East) presents a different strategic achievement, as the TVK managed to secure a foothold in the crucial central hub of Tiruchirappalli.
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