VCK asks TN Governor to invite Vijay, but support has a condition

VCK leader SS Balaji urges the TN Governor to invite TVK's Vijay to form a government but withholds his party's support. He demands that Vijay must first prove that TVK will not be in the clutches of the BJP and RSS to gain VCK's support.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader SS Balaji has said that the Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar should invite Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam leader Vijay to form government in the state and noted his party had not yet taken a decision to support TVK. TVK needs support of 10 MLAs to form government and has received support from 5 Congress legislators. VCK has two MLAs in the state assembly.

VCK Demands Assurance From TVK

Balaji said Vijay needs to convince his party that it will not be "in the clutches" of BJP. "Just because we are saying that the governor should invite him doesn't mean that we are going to support him (Vijay). For us to consider their request or consider supporting them, there must be something solid on the ground which should make us believe that he will not be in the clutches of the BJP or RSS," he said.

"We are voicing out that the governor's act or the governor's attitude is against the constitution. There is nothing from the side of TVK... But what we are seeing is that there is nothing from the side of TVK, which is again making us believe that they will be submissive to the BJP and the RSS. So it is their duty or their responsibility to make us believe or make us trust they'll never be in the hands of the BJP or RSS. Only if that is going to happen will we be able to consider that. This is what I feel," he added.

Congress Calls for Protests Against Governor

Tamil Nadu Congress chief K Selvaperunthagai has called for protest demonstrations across district headquarters in Tamil Nadu on Friday, at 11 am over Governor not having invited Vijay to form government.

Selvaperunthagai accused the Governor of acting as a "puppet" of the BJP-led Central Government. He urged all District Congress Committee presidents to organise large-scale protests in their respective districts.

The Electoral Math

TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats, but was unable to cross the majority mark of 118 seats in the 234-member assembly. With Vijay set to vacate one of the two seats he won in the Assembly polls, the effective strength of TVK in the Assembly will become 117, and along with Congress, the alliance has 112 members, just five short of a majority.

Meanwhile, with AIADMK declining support to TVK, Vijay would likely approach smaller parties to cross the majority mark. TVK stunned the 'Dravidian' parties in the state, bringing to an end the DMK-AIADMK's three-decade-old 'duopoly'.

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