Tamil Nadu Govt Formation Highlights: VCK, Left party leaders meet DMK chief Stalin

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar for not inviting Vijay-led TVK to form the government, alleging that governors are "agents" of the BJP who "maul" the Constitution to serve that party's interests.

The former Union minister alleged that Arlekar is trying to "buy time" so that the BJP can manipulate government formation in Tamil Nadu. Sibal's remarks come amid Vijay's efforts to cobble up support to form his maiden government after his TVK emerged as the single largest party in the the April 23 assembly polls.

"I was hoping that by now the governor would have invited the TVK to form the government in Tamil Nadu. That is the norm, the governor, Mr Arlekar, would be knowing the norm. But of course, when governors become agents of the BJP, they do the bidding of the BJP," Sibal said at a press conference.

"I am reminded of England off spinner Jim Laker who took 19 wickets in a Test match against Australia in 1956, the highest ever. Arlekar is trying to bowl a spin ball for the government, he is 'their Laker' not Jim Laker," Sibal said, taking a swipe at the governor.

The governor is trying to ensure that somehow the AIADMK and the DMK get together and the TVK is not able to form government, he alleged.

"What I hear from media reports is that the DMK has said it will not join hands with any other party to form government," the Independent Rajya Sabha MP said.

The governor must follow the dictum of the Supreme Court and the recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission, Sibal asserted. The commission had said that if there is a pre-poll alliance with a majority then the leader of that alliance be called to form the government. If there is no pre-poll alliance, then the leader of the largest party is called to form the government with the support of others and if there is post-poll alliance that has majority then its leader is called to form the government, he pointed out.

"In Tamil Nadu, no single party has a majority. Normally, the single largest party should be asked to form the government. The test of the majority is not domain of the governor. The governor should ask the leader of TVK (Vijay) and give time to show his majority on floor of the House," Sibal said.

"I don't see why this governor is not playing ball. The simple reason is that he wants to buy time so that the BJP can manipulate... It is unfortunate that this is happening," he said.

"If this is the way governors are going to behave then we can say goodbye to democracy," the senior advocate added.

In a post on X earlier, Sibal said, "Tamil Nadu... Governors are agents of BJP. They maul the Constitution to serve BJP's interests." "Call Vijay (leader of single largest party). Swear him in as CM," he said.

"Let him prove his majority on the floor of the House. No post poll alliance in majority. Sarkaria Commission. Settled law. But who listens!" Sibal said.

PTI

With the TVK party falling short of a majority, a war of words erupted between Congress and BJP leaders over the governor's alleged delay in calling Vijay to form the government in Tamil Nadu.

TVK has won 108 seats in the April 23 polls. Of which, Vijay will have to resign from one of the two seats he has won. Congress, which faced the election as part of the DMK-led alliance, switched sides post polls and extended the support of its five MLAs to TVK, taking the number of MLAs supporting Vijay to 112, which still falls short of 118, which marks a majority in the 234‑member Tamil Nadu assembly.

Neither of the Dravidian majors, DMK and AIADMK, is close to the majority, and it ended up as a hung Assembly. Parties with smaller numbers in both the camps, VCK, PMK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, DMDK and AMMK, have game-changer potential.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar was asking TVK to submit letters of support from allied MLAs and other partners, effectively establishing a working majority before an invitation to form the government was issued.

This has triggered a broader political debate, especially between Congress and the BJP, over whether the governor should insist on establishing a majority before inviting TVK to form a government.

Congress leaders have portrayed the delay in calling Vijay to form the government as a deliberate attempt from the BJP in the Centre, calling it an "undemocratic" tactic against the verdict of the people.

BJP leaders, on the other hand, have justified the governor's act and stressed "constitutional prudence".

Congress MP Manickam Tagore alleged, "A former BJP leader as governor is now being used by the BJP to deny power to the single largest party. Vijay must be invited immediately; the numbers can be tested in the Assembly, not in the Raj Bhavan".

BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said, "The governor must discharge his duties in accordance with the law. As per convention, the governor may invite the party leading a pre-poll alliance, which has emerged victorious, to form the government. Alternatively, if the single largest party expresses its willingness to form the government, the Governor bears the responsibility under Article 164 of the Constitution to verify whether the support extended by other parties or by the elected members is sufficient to be deemed satisfactory".

PTI

TVK leader CTR Nirmal Kumar on Thursday called on CPI state secretary M Veerapandian and sought the party's support in forming the government, as the Vijay-led party lacks a simple majority to form the government on its own.

The TVK joint general secretary visited the CPI office here and sought the Communist party's support. TVK had already requested support from the Left parties, VCK and IUML, he said, and exuded confidence that TVK would form the government.

"The parties have sought time to respond to our request," Kumar told reporters emerging out of the meeting with Veerapandian.

PTI

After Vijay was denied an invitation to form the Tamil Nadu government despite meeting Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar twice, TVK cadres staged a protest outside Lok Bhavan. Despite submitting a list of 112 supporting MLAs, including those from the Congress, to Governor Arlekar, he is yet to invite Vijay to form the government, PTI reported.

Justifying Congress' stance of allying with Vijay's TVK, MP Christopher Tilak said his party supported TVK to form government since Vijay holds complete faith in the principle of secularism.

Tilak became an MP with the support of DMK in the recent Rajya Sabha polls. Tilak told media, now it is the time for TVK to declare that it will not align with "Hindutva forces".

"Even though the Congress party has only five MLAs, it has taken a firm decision, determining that this is the direction they must pursue at this juncture", he claimed.

"Now, because Congress has joined, a difficult situation has arisen for the BJP where it cannot penetrate or play a big role there", he claimed.

Further, Tilak said that minorities and Dalits voted based on an anti-BJP stance, emphasising the need to protect Tamil Nadu's fundamental traditions and religious harmony.

"I don't know if corruption can be completely eliminated from this starting point", he said adding, "but if Vijay thinks, he can definitely reduce it after becoming the chief minister, and if he takes a political will to definitely reduce it".

With PTI inputs