The numbers
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has 234 members, and a majority requires 118 MLAs [1][2]. Thalapathy Vijay's party TVK won 108 seats in the 2026 assembly election, 10 short of the majority mark [3][4].
The Governor's stand
Governor Rajendra Arlekar has not invited Vijay to form the government as of the article's publication [5]. Vijay has been turned away twice by the Governor [6]. Senior advocate Vikas Singh stated that the main obstacle is that Vijay has not claimed to form the government as the single largest party [7].
The support claims
Vijay is seeking to form a government with the support of Congress (5 MLAs) and other MLAs, totaling 113, which is below 118 [8]. The Governor has demanded written proof of support from 118 MLAs, not just verbal claims [9]. Additionally, Vijay won from two constituencies and must vacate one, reducing TVK's effective seats to 107 during a floor test [10].
Historical precedents
In 1991, P.V. Narasimha Rao formed a minority government with 232 seats in Lok Sabha (majority 272) and completed a full term with outside support [11]. In 1996, Atal Bihari Vajpayee formed a government with 161 seats (111 short of majority) but it fell in 13 days [12]. In 1998, Vajpayee formed an NDA coalition government with 182 seats, but it fell after 13 months due to losing a no-confidence motion by one vote [13].
What to watch next
Vijay must either secure written commitments from at least 11 more MLAs or wait for the Governor to invite the single largest party. The coming days will test whether the Governor's stance shifts or whether a different coalition emerges.