The ongoing Tamil Nadu politics saw another chapter of a suspense thriller film unfolding on Friday night as Vijay once again fell short of proving the support required to form the government, as he left disappointed from his meeting with Governor Rajendra Arlekar for the third time in three days.
The latest jolt to Vijay's TVK party this time came after claims and counterclaims emerged over the support of AMMK’s lone MLA S Kamaraj.
The controversy has triggered political accusations, complaints to the Governor and even a police complaint, as both TVK and TTV Dhinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) accused each other of spreading misinformation.
Numbers game gets complicated
TVK secured 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly and also enjoys the support of Congress’s 5 MLAs. However, the party still requires the backing of 6 more legislators to reach the majority mark of 118, as one of its seats will become vacant after Vijay vacates one of the two constituencies he won.
Sources said Vijay reached out to VCK, AMMK and an IUML legislator seeking support for TVK. However, he was unable to secure the required numbers in meeting with the Governor, with the party’s strength currently at 116 MLAs, two short of the majority mark. Now, with the AMMK MLA also withdrawing, the tally has reduced to 115 MLAs.
TVK claims support from AMMK MLA, but fails to prove
Vijay met the Governor at the Lok Bhavan once again, claiming that TVK has the signed support from Kamaraj, the lone MLA of AMMK. The claim created a buzz in political circles, with TVK alleging that Kamaraj had formally backed the party.
Soon after, TTV Dhinakaran too rushed to Raj Bhavan and met the Governor, alleging that his party MLA had gone missing and claiming to possess a letter in which Kamaraj had clearly stated his support for the AIADMK, in line with the party’s stand.
He further accused TVK of luring and “poaching” the MLA through inducements.
More and more twists: Kamaraj appears with Dhinakaran, denies support to TVK
Shortly after, Kamaraj later appeared alongside Dhinakaran and accompanied him to Raj Bhavan. Kamaraj reportedly informed the Governor that he had not issued any letter extending support to TVK and claimed that the alleged support letter being circulated was fake.
Following this, Dhinakaran also lodged a complaint at Guindy Police Station seeking an investigation into the matter.
"A letter was issued in support of TVK by my MLA Kamaraj. We are all shocked that I got an appointment with the Governor, and I showed the real letter that I got from our CM candidate Edappadi Palaniswami. I came to know that TVK submitted a forged xerox copy of the letter, and the Governor asked for the original one... This is forgery... We are going to file a criminal complaint now," Dhinakaran told reporters.
TVK releases video of Kamaraj's consent
Hours later, a separate TVK-affiliated social media handle released a video claiming that Kamaraj himself had written the support letter backing the party.
The video allegedly showed MLA Kamaraj sitting inside a car while speaking about his support. However, Dhinakaran dismissed the video as fake and maintained that the matter was under investigation.
The developments have added fresh uncertainty and drama to the evolving political situation in Tamil Nadu, with Vijay getting so close, yet so far from the chief minister's chair for the third time in a row. The swearing-in now stands delayed, and suspense continues over the government formation in Tamil Nadu.
Also read: TTV Dhinakaran meets Governor, says Palaniswami has 120 MLAs, should form govt
