CHENNAI: The mood in the TVK camp shifted from jubilation on Wednesday morning to anxiety by evening, as the party led by C Joseph Vijay faced a shortfall of five seats even after the Congress extended its support.
Governor Delays Swearing-In
TVK sources revealed that the governor insisted on receiving letters of support from an adequate number of MLAs before deciding on a date for the swearing-in ceremony. The ceremony, initially planned for Thursday, has been put on hold.
Congress Support Offered
In the forenoon, Congress leaders visited Vijay at the TVK headquarters in Panaiyur, bearing letters of support from their MLAs. Shortly after, Vijay drove to Lok Bhavan to express his intent to form the government to Governor R V Arlekar.
TVK Scrambles for Numbers
With no response from Lok Bhavan until late evening, TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna met Arlekar again. By the end of the day, TVK, which had been in talks with parties from both rival alliances, was struggling to secure the required numbers. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), with 2 MLAs, stated it would not support TVK. Other DMK allies—VCK, CPI, CPM (2 MLAs each), and DMDK (1)—have yet to commit.
The AIADMK, which had opened communication channels with TVK in the past two days, also ruled out support. “Under no circumstance has AIADMK offered support to TVK,” said AIADMK deputy general secretary K P Munusamy, after party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami chaired a meeting of the 47 newly elected MLAs.
In a late-evening development, AIADMK moved its MLAs to a resort in Puducherry. Unconfirmed reports suggested that DMK and AIADMK were in discussions regarding the evolving political situation. Meanwhile, the Congress faced criticism from the DMK for “betraying voters and abandoning a long-standing alliance.”
