All speculation ends, Vijay becoming chief minister

All speculation surrounding Tamil Nadu politics has finally come to an end. Ending days of intense political drama, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) led by Thol Thirumavalavan has extended support to actor Vijay’s Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). As a result, superstar Vijay is now set to take oath as the chief minister of the state after securing the required majority.

In the 294-member Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, 118 seats are needed to form a government. Although Vijay’s TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats, it was still short of the required number.
 
However, after the VCK (2 seats) and IUML (2 seats) offered unconditional support on Saturday (May 9), the alliance led by Vijay has now reached 120 seats.

In a letter sent to Governor R N Ravi, the VCK said it decided to support Vijay in the interest of ensuring a stable and democratic government in Tamil Nadu. Earlier, five Congress lawmakers and four left-party legislators had also backed Vijay.

End of the DMK-AIADMK era

The victory of Vijay and his TVK marks the beginning of a historic political shift in Tamil Nadu. For the past 62 years, power in the state alternated between the DMK and AIADMK. Forming a party only two years ago, Vijay has now broken that long-standing dominance. In the election, the DMK won 59 seats while the AIADMK secured 47.

Outgoing Chief Minister and DMK chief M K Stalin welcomed the decision of his ally parties, including the VCK and the left parties. He said they chose to support Vijay to avoid an ongoing political crisis in the state. However, he also strongly criticized Congress, saying its decision to back Vijay without consulting the DMK was “a betrayal.”

Behind-the-scenes drama

Since last Wednesday, Vijay visited the Raj Bhavan several times to stake claim to form the government. However, Governor R N Ravi remained firm on receiving physical letters signed by 118 lawmakers. On Friday night, uncertainty over the support of an AMMK legislator created confusion about Vijay’s chances of becoming chief minister. Finally, all obstacles were cleared after VCK chief Thirumavalavan personally handed over the letter of support to Vijay on Saturday afternoon.

If everything goes as planned, Joseph Vijay will take oath as the new chief minister of Tamil Nadu within the next few days.

Through this, a new political chapter is set to begin in the southern Indian state.

Source: Source: NDTV

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