Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has criticised Tamil Nadu Governor R. V. Arlekar for declining to invite Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, the leader of the TVK, to form the new government after the party emerged as the single largest in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections [1]. Abdullah argued that constitutional norms and Supreme Court precedents require that the largest party be given the first opportunity to prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly [2][6].
TVK's electoral performance
TVK won the most seats in the 234-member Assembly but fell short of the 118 seats needed for a simple majority [4]. The Congress party, with five MLAs, offered support to TVK, but the combined numbers still remain below the halfway mark [5].
Constitutional precedent
Abdullah cited the example of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's 13-day government in 1996, noting that the President invited Vajpayee to form the government without demanding proof of majority beforehand [3]. He asserted that the Governor had "no justification" to deny the single largest party an opportunity to prove its majority [8]. According to Supreme Court judgments, there should be no President's Rule in such situations [7].
What to watch next
The standoff between the Governor and TVK is likely to escalate, with the party expected to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the Governor's decision. The outcome could set a significant precedent for government formation in hung assemblies across India.