Congress Backs TVK to Form Tamil Nadu Government, Seeks Cabinet Berths
The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee's Political Affairs Committee has unanimously decided to support the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in forming a government in Tamil Nadu, sources said Wednesday. The party is expected to formally announce its decision after a meeting at Sathyamurthy Bhavan in Chennai at 9:30 am, where key terms of support will be finalized.
Congress is demanding two cabinet berths, along with chairmanships of major boards and corporations, as part of its support arrangement. It has also insisted that TVK refrain from seeking backing from the BJP or any National Democratic Alliance constituent to form the government. A majority of Congress MLAs are said to be in favour of the arrangement.
TVK, led by actor Vijay, emerged as the single largest party in the recently concluded Assembly elections, winning 108 of the 234 seats—10 short of a majority. Vijay won both Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East but is expected to retain only Perambur, reducing TVK's strength to 107. Once the Speaker is elected, TVK's effective strength may drop to 106, requiring support from at least 12 additional MLAs to cross the 118-seat threshold.
Congress leaders believe backing TVK on these terms will help rally other allies, including the VCK, CPI, CPM, and IUML, to join the secular front. Vijay had previously reached out to Congress leadership seeking support for government formation. The court will resume hearing on Tuesday.