CHENNAI: TVK president C Joseph Vijay moved four steps closer to the chief minister's chair on Friday evening after the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), each with two MLAs, extended their support to his party to form the government. However, around midnight, he was still one short of the majority mark.
TVK had the support of 117 legislators in the 234-member assembly, as the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) had yet to provide its support in writing. VCK spokesman K K Pavalan posted a message in a media group stating that the party's MLAs would issue letters of support to TVK on Saturday. An official statement from VCK said its leader, Thol Thirumavalavan, would make an announcement on Saturday.
Hours after the Left parties announced their support for TVK, Vijay called on Governor R V Arlekar, and word spread that he would sail through with the support of the two Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MLAs, and the swearing-in would happen on Saturday. Then, IUML clarified that it would not support TVK.
CPM secretary P Shanmugam said his MLAs would support TVK to prevent governor's rule in Tamil Nadu. "It will be like the BJP entering the state through the back door. To prevent that, we have decided to support TVK," he said. Shanmugam added that they would not be part of the cabinet.
Meanwhile, AMMK general secretary T T V Dhinakaran met the governor, requesting him to invite AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami to form the government. Speaking to the media outside Lok Bhavan, TTV alleged that his party's lone MLA was incommunicado and blamed TVK for his "disappearance." "TVK is doing horse trading," he said. However, he later told reporters that the MLA got scared after a forged letter was circulated claiming he had supported TVK. With TVK appearing to touch the majority mark, reports of an AIADMK government supported by the DMK fizzled out.
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