TVK lacks numbers to form govt: TN guv to Vijay

Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Thursday rejected TVK chief Vijays claim to form the government, stating that his party lacks the requisite numbers, adding another layer of political uncertainty and prompting the single largest party to step up efforts to seek support again from the Left parties, VCK and the IUML.

Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Thursday rejected TVK chief Vijay's claim to form the government, stating that his party lacks the requisite numbers, adding another layer of political uncertainty and prompting the single largest party to step up efforts to seek support again from the Left parties, VCK and the IUML. Vijay visited the Lok Bhavan, based on an invitation from Governor Arlekar, for the second time in 24 hours. ''During the meeting, the Hon'ble Governor explained that the requisite majority support in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, essential for forming the government, has not been established,'' Lok Bhavan said in a statement after the meeting. Amidst renewed efforts by the TVK to reach out to them, the Left parties, VCK and the IUML said a decision on Vijay's request for support will be taken tomorrow. However, indications that they may extend support to Vijay emerged when VCK chief Thirumavalavan joined the Congress and the Left to condemn Arlekar's decision not to invite Vijay to form the government despite TVK emerging as the single largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly. Also, according to sources, Vijay was open to accommodating prospective allies in his cabinet. As gubernatorial discretion and coalition arithmetic played out in Tamil Nadu, many interpret the delay as more political than administrative or constitutional. ''Experts say that the governor cannot demand a list of 118 MLAs who will support the government, and our view is that the BJP is creating confusion in Tamil Nadu politics. They may be asked to prove majority on the floor of the House, and they cannot be asked to give a list in advance,'' Thirumavalavan told reporters. TNCC announced a state-wide protest against the Governor and the BJP regime at the Centre over the issue on Friday. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee said in a statement, ''Governments are not decided on the lawns of Lok Bhavan. They are decided on the floor of the House.'' When contacted, CPI(M) State Secretary P Shanmugam told PTI that the party would take stock of the situation on Friday and consider the request by the TVK, which is five short of the required 118 MLAs to form its first government. TVK leader CTR Nirmal Kumar called on Veerapandian and Marxist party leader Shanmugam to seek their support in forming the government. He told reporters that they had also requested IUML's support. Meanwhile, DMK sources said party president and outgoing Chief Minister MK Stalin told the leaders of alliance parties, including the Left, that they should remain part of the Secular Progressive Alliance. Though TVK won the April 23 polls with 108 seats, it fell short of the majority mark of 118 to form government. The Congress, which has won five seats, has extended its support to TVK. CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby called upon Arlekar to uphold democratic conventions by inviting the TVK to form the government as it was the single largest party in a fractured assembly. Speaking on the political impasse in Tamil Nadu, the CPI (M) top leader argued that in the absence of a clear majority or a pre-poll alliance reaching the magic number, constitutional precedent dictates that the leader of the largest party be sworn in. He cited the 1996 invitation to BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a historical parallel. ''The governor's office should be beyond suspicion,'' Baby told PTI Videos, questioning the delay in the invitation and demanding that Vijay be given reasonable time to prove his majority on the floor of the House. Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Narayanan Tirupathy claimed that everything regarding government formation will happen in a democratic way and that the governor will stick to the rules. ''I don't think there is any confusion with Raj Bhavan or the governor. He (governor) will go by the Constitution. He will go by rule book'', the BJP leader told PTI videos. ''The way the people have cast their votes reflects this outcome. Consequently, the electorate has voted in such a way that no single party has secured an absolute majority'', he added. Tirupathy said, ''According to our constitutional framework, the party that secures the highest number of seats, specifically, more than half of the total strength of the house and the one that gets the necessary support or backing is entitled to form the government. However, unfortunately, in this instance, no party has secured a majority''. ''I believe this is precisely the reason for the current confusion and they (Lok Bhavan) were taking the necessary time'', he said adding ''if other parties come forward to express their support for Vijay, a stable governance will be established in Tamil Nadu'' Meanwhile, TVK cadres staged a protest demonstration outside the Lok Bhavan on Thursday, demanding that the governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar should allow the party chief Vijay to form the government. Further, according to party sources, some TVK leaders are of the opinion to take the legal recourse on the matter. However, there was no concrete information on this.