Actor-politician Vijay found support from the film industry on Thursday, even as Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), had not yet established the majority required to form the government.
Several Kollywood figures, including Khushbu Sundar, Kamal Haasan and Vishal, publicly backed Vijay after he met the governor to stake claim. TVK said it had secured the support of Congress MLAs, taking its tally to 112. However, the figure remains short of the 118 needed for a majority in the 234-member Assembly. Vijay is also expected to vacate one of the two seats he won.
Khushbu backs ‘thambi’ Vijay
Khushbu Sundar, a BJP member, extended her support to Vijay despite her husband Sundar C contesting from Madurai as part of the AIADMK-led NDA alliance.
Posting on X, she wrote, “As a citizen of Tamil Nadu, when people have chosen their CM, he should lead,” referring to Vijay as her “thambi” (younger brother).
Ahead of the elections, Sundar C had also refrained from criticising Vijay, noting their close personal bond, where Khushbu considers Vijay her younger brother, and he addresses her as “akka” (elder sister).
See her post here:
Vishal cites precedents from other states
Actor Vishal also voiced support, pointing to precedents in states such as Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya and Karnataka, where parties were invited to form governments and later prove their majority through a floor test.
Questioning the governor’s stance, he wrote, “Why is the governor of Tamil Nadu hesitating to give Vijay the chance to form the government in the same manner? What is the respect for the people’s mandate?”
He added that the state needed an elected government rather than Governor’s rule, asserting that the people’s mandate must be honoured. Expressing confidence, he said Vijay “should and will” form the government.
See his post here:
Numbers remain short of majority
Earlier, actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) leader Kamal Haasan said the mandate in Tamil Nadu must be respected after a fractured verdict in the Assembly elections, and argued that Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay, as leader of the single largest party, should be invited to form the government.
The show of support from film personalities comes amid an ongoing political impasse. Governor Arlekar has maintained that TVK has not yet demonstrated the required majority.
With a claimed strength of 112, the party remains below the halfway mark of 118 in the Assembly, leaving the question of government formation unresolved for now.
– Ends