TN politics: VCK mulls over TVK's invite for support in govt formation

VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan will hold a high-level party meeting to discuss the political situation in Tamil Nadu, including an invitation from TVK seeking support for government formation and their relationship with the DMK alliance.

VCK to Discuss Political Situation, TVK's Invitation

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan on Friday said the party's high-level committee would meet in the evening to discuss the current political situation in Tamil Nadu, including an invitation from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) seeking support for government formation.

Speaking to ANI outside his residence in Chennai, Thirumavalavan said the party would decide its stand after detailed discussions in the meeting. "This evening we have a room meeting with high-level committee members. We are going to discuss the current political scenario and will decide what our stance in this crisis is," he said.

Referring to TVK's outreach efforts, the VCK leader said the invitation to extend support would also be discussed during the meeting. "Invitation from TVK to support, we will discuss this in the meeting," he said. "As well as we are still with the DMK alliance, so we will discuss the DMK relation. How are we going to maintain and continue so all these issues will be discussed," he added.

Criticism Over Governor's Handling

Criticising the Governor's handling of the government formation process, the VCK chief said, "Governor should not behave like this. We criticised the approach of the Governor," he said.

The Numbers Game for Government Formation

Earlier, Governor Arlekar on Thursday invited TVK's Vijay to Lok Bhavan, and explained that the requisite majority support in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, essential for forming the Government, has not been established.

According to sources, the Governor sought clarity on the "magic number" required for government formation and asked Vijay to furnish details of legislators backing TVK's claim to form the government in Tamil Nadu. Arlekar's not callling Vijay to form the government has drawn fiery remarks and allegations from its leaders.

TVK won 108 seats in the Assembly elections, while Congress won five, taking the tally of the newly brewing alliance to 112. The TVK-led potential coalition still falls five short of the majority mark of 118 in the 234-member Assembly. Vijay's TVK has been working to garner support from other parties to form a government in Tamil Nadu since the verdict delivered a fractured mandate.

Allegations of Central Interference

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Thirumavalavan alleged that the TVK's alliance with Congress has triggered interference from the BJP-led central government. "The TVK President has secured the support of the Congress. It is solely because of this development that the BJP and the Central Government are exerting pressure. On behalf of the VCK, we request the Governor to extend an invitation to him to form the government," the VCK chief said. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)