Updated on: May 08, 2026 9:40:10 AM IST
A man walks past a poster praising the victory of actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party president C Joseph Vijay in Chennai.
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: It has been four days since results of Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu were announced, but the future of government formation in the state remains uncertain. While actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won over 100 seats in the elections, it fell short of around 10 to cross the majority mark. Even with Congress’s support, the party can reach only 113, still short of the 118 mandate needed to form the government.
On Thursday, Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said that in his second meeting with Vijay in two days, the politician was told the forming a majority was “essential” for forming the government. However, Vijay’s supporters have called the decision wrong, seeking that he be allowed to prove the majority on the floor of the House.
According to a PTI report, the TVK held a crucial meeting of the party’s MLAs-designate on Thursday during which the legislators sought to know from from party general secretary ‘Bussy’ N Anand when the government formation would take place. In response, they were told that to remain patient, and that “party chief Vijay was making all the efforts,” the PTI report said, quoting a source.
Here are some key developments:
Where do numbers stand? The TVK won 108 seats in the Assembly elections in a stunning show for a debutant party. Of these, two of them, Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East were won by Vijay and as per ECI mandate, he would have to give up one seat, reducing the tally to 107. With support from Congress, the total number of seats climbs to 113, but it is still short of the 118 majority mark in the 243-seat Assembly.
What did TN governor say? The Tamil Nadu governor said that TVK has so far not established majority support to form the government. “During the meeting (with Vijay), the Governor explained that the requisite majority support in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, essential for forming the Government, has not been established,” a release said. Thursday’s meeting was the second time in two days that Vijay was sent back without approval to form a government.
Which parties are backing TVK? So far, only Congress has publicly announced support for the TVK in forming the government. There was buzz around the AIADMK, that won 47 seats, backing Vijay’s party. However, there is no confirmation to this end.
How parties reacted to governor’s move: Congress, VCK and CPI have said that Vijay should be invited to form a government in Tamil Nadu, following which he can prove majority on the floor of the House. Karnataka deputy chief minister and Congress leader DK Shivakumar said it was “unfair” to keep Vijay waiting.
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On Thursday, Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said that in his second meeting with Vijay in two days, the politician was told the forming a majority was “essential” for forming the government. However, Vijay’s supporters have called the decision wrong, seeking that he be allowed to prove the majority on the floor of the House.
According to a PTI report, the TVK held a crucial meeting of the party’s MLAs-designate on Thursday during which the legislators sought to know from from party general secretary ‘Bussy’ N Anand when the government formation would take place. In response, they were told that to remain patient, and that “party chief Vijay was making all the efforts,” the PTI report said, quoting a source.
Here are some key developments:
Where do numbers stand? The TVK won 108 seats in the Assembly elections in a stunning show for a debutant party. Of these, two of them, Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East were won by Vijay and as per ECI mandate, he would have to give up one seat, reducing the tally to 107. With support from Congress, the total number of seats climbs to 113, but it is still short of the 118 majority mark in the 243-seat Assembly.
What did TN governor say? The Tamil Nadu governor said that TVK has so far not established majority support to form the government. “During the meeting (with Vijay), the Governor explained that the requisite majority support in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, essential for forming the Government, has not been established,” a release said. Thursday’s meeting was the second time in two days that Vijay was sent back without approval to form a government.
Which parties are backing TVK? So far, only Congress has publicly announced support for the TVK in forming the government. There was buzz around the AIADMK, that won 47 seats, backing Vijay’s party. However, there is no confirmation to this end.
How parties reacted to governor’s move: Congress, VCK and CPI have said that Vijay should be invited to form a government in Tamil Nadu, following which he can prove majority on the floor of the House. Karnataka deputy chief minister and Congress leader DK Shivakumar said it was “unfair” to keep Vijay waiting.
Follow all the updates here:
May 08, 2026 9:40:10 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: ‘Assembly, not Guv house’ place to prove majority, says P Chidambaram
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday said that majority is proven in the Assembly and “not the Governor’s residence”, as he sought an invite for Vijay to form the TVK government in Tamil Nadu.
“Based on the numerical strength of the elected members, the leader of the single largest party must be invited to form the government. This is the political rule. This is the parliamentary convention,” he said in a tweet.
May 08, 2026 9:30:11 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: VCK to convene meeting of high-level committee to decide on backing TVK
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: The VCK (Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi) is to convene a meeting of its high-level committee this evening. As reported by HT earlier, the VCK and Left parties said they will decide their stance on supporting the TVK today.
May 08, 2026 9:17:15 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: TVK leader says ‘give me one hour’ on question of numbers for majority
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: TVK leader P Venkataramanan was asked if his party has numbers required to form government in Tamil Nadu. “Give me one hour time, we will update you in one hour,” he said in response. “Sure”, he said when asked if the TVK was forming the government.
May 08, 2026 9:09:23 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: CPM says Vijay should be allowed to form govt, ‘never saw anything like this in TN’
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Echoing parties like Congress and the VCK, CPM state secretary TT Shanmugam also said that Vijay should be invited to form a government first and prove majority on the floor of the House later.
“According to the Constitution, it is TVK that should be allowed to form the government. We have never seen a situation like this in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, and now we have a hung Assembly. It is the Governor who should invite Vijay to form the government because he is leading. So, the Governor is now saying that there is a High Court order, which is not right,” he told ANI.
May 08, 2026 8:57:52 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: AIADMK says Congress backing won’t save TVK
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: The AIADMK has said that even if Congress backs the TVK with its 5 seats, the tally won’t cross the majority mark of 118.
On the Congress alliance with TVK, AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said, “118 seats are needed and adding Congress’s 5 seats would not save TVK. Congress has put a hole in a ship, and it’s like helping the ship sink faster.”
May 08, 2026 8:48:22 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Congress calls protest over Vijay not getting invite to form govt
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: The Tamil Nadu Congress has called for a state-wide protest on Friday over the governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar not inviting Vijay’s TVK to form a government despite securing most seats in the elections.
May 08, 2026 8:32:42 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: CPI (Marxist) to work in tandem with VCK, CPI to stop BJP from ‘grabbing power’
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary MA Baby said that it will work in tandem with CPI and VCK to stop the BJP from grabbing power in Tamil Nadu.
As reported by HT earlier, Left parties have called a meeting of their respective state committees on Friday. “We are not leaving the DMK alliance. Whatever we do, the CPI(M) will act jointly with CPI and VCK,” Baby said. IUML has already refused to part ways with the DMK.
May 08, 2026 8:06:19 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: 28 AIADMK MLAs camping in Puducherry amid rift buzz, visuals appear
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Amid buzz of a possible rift in the AIADMK over whether or not to back TVK, 28 of the its party MLAs are camping in Puducherry. However, AIADMK has denied any rift.
May 08, 2026 8:01:24 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Which parties are backing TVK?
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: So far, only Congress has publicly announced support for the TVK in forming the government. There was buzz around the AIADMK, that won 47 seats, backing Vijay’s party. However, there is no confirmation to this end. The VCK and Left parties said they will decide their stance on Friday.
May 08, 2026 7:44:52 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: After Congress, VCK criticises governor’s call for Vijay for prove majority before govt formation
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: After Congress leader DK Shivakumar, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol. Thirumavalavan also said that it was “unfair” to seek majority from Vijay’s TVK before giving the party a chance to form the government.
“Usually, the Governor is expected to invite the leader whose party has secured the highest number of seats in the Assembly elections; however, in this instance, he is asking Mr Vijay to demonstrate the requisite majority of 118 seats needed to form the government. This is not fair,” the VCK chief told ANI.
When asked if the party would back the TVK, Thirumavalavan said the decision will be taken in a high-level meeting. The VCK won two seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
May 08, 2026 7:32:34 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Where do parties stand in Tamil Nadu? A look at figures
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: While the TVK won 108 seats and became the single-largest party in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK won 47 seats, the DMK 59 and smaller parties like the IUML and VCK won 2 seats each.
May 08, 2026 7:26:28 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Can a governor seek majority before inviting party to form government?
Tamil Nadu government news LIVE: The delay in TVK forming a government in Tamil Nadu has raked up an age old question: Can a governor seek majority before inviting party to form government?
While the Supreme Court has consistently held that a governor cannot conduct a “floor test in Raj Bhavan”, it has equally recognised that the governor is empowered, and perhaps constitutionally obligated, to undertake a limited “prima facie” assessment of whether a claimant is likely to command majority support in the Assembly. Read full story here.
May 08, 2026 7:12:32 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: DK Shivakumar says denying Vijay chance to form govt ‘unfair’
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Congress leader DK Shivakumar said on Thursday that it was “unfair” to deny Vijay the chance to form a government in Tamil Nadu. Shivakumar’s party is backing the TVK, taking the tally to 113.
“In Tamil Nadu what the Governor is doing is not fair. He should allow the single largest party (TVK) to form the government and ask them to take the floor test,” Shivakumar said, as quoted by PTI.
May 08, 2026 7:07:38 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: A look at numbers as majority failure threatens TVK hopes
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Here’s what the math looks like in Tamil Nadu:
Number of seats TVK won – 108
Majority mark needed – 118
Tally after Congress backing – 113
This means the TVK is still around five seats short of the majority mark in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu governor has said that establishing a majority is essential for forming the government.
May 08, 2026 7:01:06 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: IUML says Vijay’s TVK approached it, ‘decision rests with Stalin’
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has reportedly said that Vijay’s party approached it amid failure to cross the majority in the state. “TVK people came to us. We have not decided on this matter. The decision should be made by Stalin. Whatever he decides, it is acceptable to us. We are asking him to make a decision and then announce to us,” IUML chief KM Kader Mohideen was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
May 08, 2026 6:47:50 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: TVK MLAs-designate told to ‘remain patient, Vijay making all efforts’
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Amid suspense and uncertainty over government formation, the MLAs-designate of TVK have reportedly been asked to remain patient. According to a PTI report, the leaders sought to know from party general secretary ‘Bussy’ N Anand when the TVK would form the government.
“Many wanted to know from Anand when the TVK will form the government. The leader asked them to be patient as the party chief Vijay was making all the efforts,” a source in the party was quoted as saying.
May 08, 2026 6:42:30 AM IST
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Governor keeps Vijay’s TVK waiting over majority issue
Tamil Nadu govt formation news LIVE: Tamil Nadu governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has so far not given his approval to Vijay’s TVK to form the government in the state. On Thursday, the governor’s office said that having a majority was essential for government formation. The TVK won 108 seats in the Assembly elections, around 10 seats short of the required 118 mandate.
