Chennai . There has been a new twist in the post-election political developments in Tamil Nadu. On Wednesday, AIADMK suddenly canceled the scheduled meeting of its newly elected MLAs. The move comes amid reports of deep differences within the party over the issue of support to the Vijay-led TVK government. This development has come at a time when actor-turned-politician Vijay’s party TVK has emerged as the largest party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly by winning 108 seats in its very first election contest.
However, the party is still short of the majority mark (118) in the 234-member Assembly. It needs the support of at least 10 more MLAs to form a stable government.
Being the largest party, it is expected that the Governor will invite TVK to form the government. Vijay is likely to take oath as the Chief Minister and will have to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly within the time limit set by the Governor.
TVK had contested the elections alone and had no pre-poll alliance, so the party’s survival in power would largely depend on the support it received from parties in the DMK or AIADMK camp.
Speculation about AIADMK’s possible support to Vijay intensified after reports emerged that a section within the party was in favor of extending unconditional support to TVK. Its objective is to prevent DMK from returning to power through any alternative arrangement.
In this backdrop, the AIADMK had called a meeting of its newly elected MLAs in Chennai on Wednesday, expecting a major political decision. However, the meeting was abruptly canceled at the last minute, leading to widespread speculation over growing rifts within the party leadership.
Political sources said the cancellation of the meeting was related to the ongoing differences within the AIADMK over whether the party should support Vijay’s government.
While one group is reportedly in favor of supporting TVK from outside, the other group is strongly opposed to any kind of agreement with this new party. According to reports, internal strife in the party has increased the pressure on AIADMK General Secretary Palaniswami. After the defeat in the assembly elections, the party is struggling to formulate a clear post-poll strategy.
Experts believe that the next few days will be crucial in deciding whether Vijay will be able to muster the required numbers to form the next government of Tamil Nadu.
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