TVK moves Supreme Court amid Tamil Nadu government formation deadlock
New Delhi: Amid rising political uncertainty following the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election results, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which emerged as the largest party, has moved the Supreme Court over Governor R.V. Arlekar’s inaction on the party’s claim to form the next government in the state
A writ petition was filed in the apex court on Friday and has been registered as Diary Number 28509/2026. As per the computerised case status reflected on the official website, the matter, filed by petitioner Ezhilarasi K, is presently pending before the Supreme Court.
The latest developments come amid the continuing political deadlock after the TVK emerged as the single largest party in the 234-member Assembly by winning 108 seats, but fell short of the majority mark of 118.
However, it is increasing the numbers with the support of the Congress, the Communist Party of India (CPI), and now the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M). All three were members of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance.
The Left’s announcement of support to the TVK was made during a joint press conference in Chennai by CPI state Secretary M. Veerapandian and CPI-M state Secretary P. Shanmugam.
Both leaders clarified that their parties would not join a possible TVK-led Cabinet and would instead extend support from outside.
With the support of the Congress, TVK’s strength had earlier risen to 112 MLAs, and went on further to 116 with the support of the Left parties, which have two MLAs each.
The Governor’s office had reportedly conveyed to the actor-politician C. Joseph Vijay-led party that it must first submit the list of 118 supporting MLAs before any further Constitutional process could proceed.
Amid the continuing political uncertainty over government formation, Vijay had earlier met the Governor and staked a claim to form the government.
However, reports suggested that Arlekar informed the TVK chief that the party could only be invited to form the government after demonstrating adequate numerical support in the Assembly.
Following the developments, Vijay again met the Governor on Wednesday in a meeting that reportedly lasted for more than 40 minutes. Soon after the meeting, the Governor’s office issued a statement saying that Vijay had explained that TVK currently did not possess the required number of MLAs to independently form the government.
The TVK currently requires the support of at least two more MLAs to cross the majority threshold. The VCK and the Indian Union Muslim League are now crucial to Vijay’s bid for power.
Meanwhile, hectic political activity continued in Chennai, with parties weighing their options in the post-poll scenario. Political sources said senior leaders from both the DMK and the AIADMK held separate rounds of consultations amid the uncertainty. Political observers believe the coming days will be crucial in determining the shape and stability of the next government in Tamil Nadu.