Political uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu intensified on Saturday as the swearing-in of Vijay as chief minister was postponed after the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam-led alliance fell short of the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly.
TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats in the Assembly elections. The Congress, CPI and CPI(M), which were part of the outgoing DMK-led alliance, extended support to Vijay, taking the coalition tally to 117, one short of the required majority of 118.
The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), which has two MLAs, expressed support for TVK but has yet to formally submit a letter of support to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan is expected to hold a meeting on Saturday to discuss extending formal support to the TVK-led coalition.
Amid the deadlock, CPI(M) General Secretary M. A. Baby said democratic convention required the Governor to invite either the single largest party or a post-poll alliance to form the government.
"The verdict is clear. People voted out the incumbent government but did not give a mandate to the opposition either. TVK has emerged as the single largest party. The majority should be tested on the floor of the House, not elsewhere," he said.
PMK founder S. Ramadoss also urged the Governor to immediately invite Vijay to form the government, saying the people's verdict should be respected without delay.
Meanwhile, the political atmosphere became more tense after Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) General Secretary T. T. V. Dhinakaran alleged possible "horse-trading" and claimed one of his party MLAs, Kamaraj, had gone missing.
Dhinakaran met Governor Arlekar late Friday night and alleged that TVK had submitted a forged support letter from the MLA to strengthen its claim of majority support.
"If it is true, Vijay should submit the original support letter and video proof to the Governor. Giving a forged letter is unacceptable," Dhinakaran told reporters.
He further alleged that TVK was attempting to engineer defections despite projecting itself as a party committed to "clean politics."
According to Dhinakaran, MLA Kamaraj had travelled to Puducherry to meet AIADMK legislators before losing contact with party leaders.
"Our MLA is missing. We suspect this could be a case of horse-trading. We have not been able to contact him even over the phone," Dhinakaran claimed.
The AMMK leader also submitted a representation to the Governor claiming the AIADMK had the right to form the government.
The political developments come amid widening tensions within the INDIA bloc after the Congress party distanced itself from longtime ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam following the election results.
DMK spokesperson Saravanan Anadurai accused the Congress of "backstabbing the people of Tamil Nadu" by extending support to TVK after contesting the elections together.
Despite the uncertainty, Vijay met Governor Arlekar for the third time on Friday and reiterated his claim to form the government with outside support from allied parties.
