Tamil Nadu's post-election suspense deepened on Thursday, May 7, 2026, as Governor R. N. Ravi Arlekar reportedly asked actor-politician Vijay to prove he has the numbers to form the next government, pushing the state's fractured mandate into a tense political showdown.
Three days after the Assembly results shattered Tamil Nadu's decades-old Dravidian binary, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) remains at the centre of a fast-moving numbers game.
The party stunned rivals by winning 108 of the state's 234 seats in its electoral debut, but still fell 10 short of the majority mark.
NDTV reported that Governor Arlekar was unconvinced by the TVK's proposal to form a government with support from the Congress' five MLAs and additional backing expected later during a floor test.
Vijay reportedly met the governor again on Thursday morning and was asked how he planned to run a stable government without crossing the 118-seat threshold.
Sources said the governor insisted Vijay submit letters of support from 118 legislators before taking oath as Chief Minister.
The TVK, meanwhile, is understood to be considering legal options, arguing that the majority should be tested on the Assembly floor and not before the governor.
The party has received backing on this issue from the Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi.
VCK chief Thol. Thirumavalavan told NDTV, “We are with Secular Progressive Alliance… but we will discuss in a day or two.”
He also said a government must prove majority in the House, not before the governor.
Meanwhile, speculation over possible support from factions within the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has added another twist, even as senior AIADMK leaders denied any alliance talks.
With the current Assembly's term ending on May 10, the race for power has entered a dramatic final stretch.
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