Vijay Short Of Magic Mark In Tamil Nadu: Which Parties Can Help TVK Form Government?

With the majority mark at 118 and TVK effectively at 108, every MLA now matters in Tamil Nadu’s government formation battle.

Vijay’s TVK won 108 seats but needs 10 more for majority in Tamil Nadu.

After delivering one of the biggest political upsets in Tamil Nadu in decades, actor-politician Vijay now faces the next major challenge — finding the numbers needed to form a government.

His party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), emerged as the single-largest party in the 2026 Assembly elections with 108 seats. But the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly stands at 118, leaving TVK short by 10 seats for now.

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Also, Vijay has won from two constituencies and, under election rules, will eventually have to vacate one seat within a stipulated period. Once that happens, TVK’s effective strength would reduce to 107, increasing the shortfall to 11 seats.

The result has triggered intense post-poll negotiations, with smaller parties suddenly becoming crucial to the future government formation in the state.

How The Numbers Stand In Tamil Nadu

The election has dramatically altered Tamil Nadu’s traditional political structure.

The MK Stalin-led DMK, which had dominated state politics for years, has been reduced to 59 seats. The AIADMK secured 47 seats, while TVK stormed to 108.

Among smaller parties:

• Congress won 5 seats
• PMK won 4
• CPI won 2
• CPM won 2
• VCK won 2
• IUML won 2
• BJP, DMDK and AMMK won 1 seat each

The remaining seats went to independents.

With 108 seats at present, TVK requires support from at least 10 more MLAs to cross the majority mark.

Congress Has Already Backed TVK

The first major breakthrough for TVK came when Congress formally extended support to Vijay’s party after internal deliberations at both the state and national levels. According to media reports, the decision was finalised during a late-night virtual meeting of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee leaders.

Congress’s five MLAs take the TVK camp’s tally from 108 to 113, still leaving Vijay five short of the majority mark for now.

The Congress move is politically significant because the party had contested the election as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance before backing TVK after the results. Reports also suggest Congress is seeking Cabinet representation in return for support.

Why VCK, CPI And CPM Have Suddenly Become Crucial

Attention has now shifted to three parties — the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), CPI and CPM — each of which has two MLAs.

Collectively, the three parties account for six seats, enough to comfortably take TVK past the majority mark even if Vijay later vacates one constituency.

TVK has formally written to all three parties seeking backing for government formation.

VCK said that the party had received an official letter from TVK requesting support. However, a senior VCK leader said that the party would take a final decision at a high-level meeting in Chennai.

The VCK’s position has become particularly important because party chief Thol Thirumavalavan has already indicated that Vijay should be invited to form the government and prove his majority on the Assembly floor.

The CPI and CPM have also not shut the door on supporting TVK.

CPI leaders are expected to convene an executive committee meeting to decide their stand, while CPI(M) is scheduled to discuss the issue in its state secretariat and committee meetings.

CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby said: “My party is a part of DMK alliance, and they are meeting to form an opinion, with a decision to be taken in the next 24 hours.”

The parties — CPM, CPI, and VCK — will convene high-level committee meetings on Friday to take a decision on supporting the TVK, which reached out to them formally on Thursday. If all three extend support, TVK’s tally would rise to the crucial 118-mark.

Could TVK Look Beyond The INDIA Bloc?

Even as negotiations with Left parties continue, TVK is also reportedly exploring support from independents and smaller regional outfits.

PMK, with four seats, is being closely watched as a potential player in the post-poll arithmetic. IUML’s two MLAs could also become relevant if negotiations with Left parties become complicated.

Reports suggest TVK has been in touch with several smaller parties as it attempts to build what the Governor described as a “durable government”.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has reportedly sought written proof of support before moving ahead with the government formation process.

Speculation Around AIADMK MLAs

Apart from formal alliance talks, political speculation has intensified around the possibility of defections or outside support from sections of the AIADMK. Some reports have claimed that a section of AIADMK legislators could eventually support TVK, although there has been no official confirmation.

If even a small group of MLAs extends support, Vijay’s path to power could become significantly easier. However, as of now, these remain speculative discussions.

DMK-AIADMK Alliance Buzz Adds Another Twist

Adding another layer to the political drama are reports of discussions around a possible DMK-AIADMK understanding aimed at preventing TVK from taking power.

Even together, however, the DMK’s 59 and AIADMK’s 47 only add up to 106 — still below the majority mark. Such a scenario would therefore still require additional allies like PMK or smaller parties.

The possibility remains politically contentious given the decades-long rivalry between the two Dravidian giants.

Tamil Nadu Witnessing ‘Resort Politics’ Again

The uncertain numbers have also revived a familiar Indian political phenomenon — resort politics.

TVK has shifted its MLAs to resorts in Mamallapuram and nearby areas to prevent poaching attempts. There are also reports that AIADMK legislators have been moved to a resort in neighbouring Puducherry.

The developments come amid intense backchannel discussions, alliance calculations and fears of defections.

What Happens Next?

At the moment, the clearest path for Vijay runs through Congress, VCK, CPI and CPM.

The arithmetic currently looks like this:

TVK: 108
Congress: +5
VCK: +2
CPI: +2
CPM: +2

Total: 119

That would take the alliance one seat above the majority mark.

However, once Vijay vacates one of the two constituencies he has won, the tally would fall to 118, exactly at the majority mark required to form the government.

But the final picture depends on whether parties that fought the election against Vijay are willing to support him in a fractured Assembly. The next 24 to 48 hours are therefore expected to be crucial in deciding whether Tamil Nadu gets its first TVK government, or heads towards a deeper political deadlock.

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