How Tamil Nadu’s Political Deadlock Unfolded: From Numbers To Governor Meetings

Last Updated:May 08, 2026, 20:18 IST

The TVK bagged 108 seats, ending the duopoly of the DMK and the AIADMK. However, it fell short of the majority mark, which is 118

Launched just two years ago, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) — led by actor-turned-politician Vijay — scripted history in Tamil Nadu by winning 108 seats in the 234-member assembly.

Yet, what unfolded afterwards was nothing short of a typical suspense movie, starring superstar Vijay — several rounds to Lok Bhavan, hunt for allies, and needless to mention, the public being oblivious about who will become their next Chief Minister.

The TVK bagged 108 seats, ending the duopoly of the DMK and the AIADMK. However, it fell short of the majority mark, which is 118, prompting Vijay to launch a hunt for allies to form the government in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu Government Formation Live Updates

However, the suspense over the Chief Ministerial post in the southern state came to an end as TVK Chief Vijay met with Governor RV Arlekar for the third time. This time, he assured Arlekar that he has the backing of 118 MLAs, which is the magic number.

Vijay will take the oath as the Chief Minister tomorrow, May 9, at 11 A.M., sources told CNN-News18. 

How Vijay Got The Magic Number

The Congress, which won five seats, had extended support to Vijay’s TVK on the condition that all “communal forces" will be kept out of the alliance.

Combining the seats won by the TVK and the Congress, the tally reached 113. And yet, there were five more to go.

Another breakthrough came after the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) backed the TVK, helping it to obtain the majority mark in the 234-member-assembly.

A Look At The Numbers

TVK — 108

Congress — 05

VCK — 02

CPI — 02

CPI(M) — 02

How The Drama Unfolded

On Friday evening, TVK Chief Vijay met with governor Arlekar, declaring that he has the support of 118 MLAs, the exact number needed for majority.

‘Third time’s a charm’, they say. This was the third time Vijay met the governor and once again, staked a claim to form the government.

The TVK Chief met with the governor twice in two days — Wednesday and Thursday — but Arlekar told him, “Come back with 118 MLAs".

In the Tamil Nadu Assembly Election, the TVK won 108 seats. The DMK secured 59 seats, AIADMK 47, PMK 4, IUML 2, CPI 2 and CPI(M) 2, while BJP, DMDK and AMMK won one seat each.

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