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Friday, May 8, 2026

Governor meets chief secy, DGP

08.05.2026

Chennai : Governor R V Arlekar held separate meetings with the state chief secretary, M Sai Kumar, and DGP Sandeep Rai Rathore, amid political developments in the state on Thursday. Sources said Sai Kumar met the governor at Raj Bhavan around 3.30pm, while Rathore met him at 4pm. Each meeting lasted around 20 minutes. Officials said the DGP briefed the governor on the prevailing law and order situation in the state after ECI withdrew the Model Code of Conduct on Thursday. Sources said the governor also discussed security arrangements related to TVK chief Vijay prior to him being called to form the govt. Discussions included the temporary appointment of a security officer for protocol duties and the withdrawal of convoy vehicles earlier assigned to Vijay. Officials did not disclose further detail

Model code lifted, but govt depts still remain out of action

Omjasvin.MD@timesofindia.com -8.05.2026

Chennai : The model code of conduct, which came into force on March 16 across Tamil Nadu following the poll notification by Election Commission of India, was lifted on Thursday. It, however, did not make much difference, as offices of key departments remained silent both at the Secretariat and at the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).

The heads of departments and GCC councillors are awaiting the new govt, and new set of ministers and officers to assume charge. No review meetings are being held as of now. "The council is active on paper, but we are watching out on how things roll out. If there’s a new govt, it will be a challenge in getting resolutions passed. Plus, we have to get govt sanctions for every council resolution. So, it is better to wait for a new administration so that the bureaucratic procedures resume,” said deputy mayor Mahesh Kumar, adding that even financial sanctions will resume only after the next govt comes.

The Secretariat and Ripon Building corridors aren’t buzzing with any files moving between departments, and no big projects are being discussed. All the councillor rooms too are vacant, the civic works in the city remain halted, while supervision and reviews haven’t taken off among officials. K Karthik, AIADMK councillor from Tiruvottiyur, said routine works are ongoing, but future projects and administrative reviews do not make sense when a new govt isn’t in place. “If there’s a govt change, we aren’t sure if they will dissolve the council or not. It has happened in the past. We will have to wait and watch,” he said.

As a result of this logjam, several city projects launched by the previous regime remain stuck. V Sandhya of Anna Nagar M Block said the Bougainvillea Park Restoration has stalled, resulting in people walking outside. “They have not secured the underground cables in Second Avenue, which were dug up to build stormwater drains,” he said. INDEFINITE PAUSE: The empty corridors at the public works department office at the Secretariat

Vijay meets Arlekar again, told majority not established

Ram.Sundaram@timesofindia.com 08.05.2026

Chennai : Uncertainty over formation of a govt led by TVK continued on Thursday after governor R V Arlekar informed C Joseph Vijay that the swearing-in process could be initiated only after he proved he had the numbers required for a majority in the assembly. Vijay who met the governor on Thursday was told that he has not ‘established’ that he had the required number of MLAs to form govt. The meeting comes a day after Vijay staked claim to form the govt. “During the meeting, the Hon’ble Governor explained that the requisite majority support in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, essential for forming the govt, has not been established,” said a statement from Lok Bhavan.

TVK had won 108 seats and secured the support of five Congress MLAs, but still remained short of the 118-mark needed for a majority. Following the governor’s response, Vijay held discussions with his legal team and senior leaders at his Foreshore Estate residence on Thursday on the possibilities of moving court for directions for a floor test in the Assembly if delay continued. Later in the day, Vijay spoke to VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan over the phone seeking support for govt formation, while other second-rung leaders, including N Anand, Arun Raj and CTR Nirmal Kumar, met CPI, IUML and CPM leaders respectively. “He spoke to me seeking support. I said a decision would be taken after consultations,’’ Thirumavalavan said. TVK leaders expressed hope that they would get the required support from other parties. “We have sought support from several parties and we hope good will happen,” said TVK general secretary Arun Raj.He also urged the governor to act in accordance with constitution.

Only delay, not denial, Don’t panic, only a delay and not a denial:

TVK gen secy Responding to a question on reports that DMK and AIADMK may come together to prevent TVK from forming the govt, he said, people of Tamil Nadu were watching everything. “Why was OPS expelled from the AIADMK? Was it not because he was said to have maintained ties with the DMK? These two parties have planned things in a way that could dilute the people’s mandate,” he added.

Meanwhile, TVK MLAs staying at a resort in Mamallapuram arrived at the party headquarters in Panaiyur. General secretary N Anand asked them not to panic and described the development as “only a delay and not a denial”. He also dismissed rumours that TVK MLAs were being poached.

DMK’s allies urge Governor to invite Vijay to form govt. Enough time should be given to the leader of the single-largest party to prove its majority. The Governor should respect the Constitution and act accordingly, says CPI leader M. Veerapandian In one voice: CPI State secretary M. Veerapandian, VCK president Thol. Thirumavalavan; and MNM chief Kamal Haasan The Hindu Bureau CHENNAI Several allies of the DMK on Thursday said Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar should invite TVK president C. Joseph Vijay to form the government, as his party has emerged as the single-largest in the recent Assembly election. In a statement, CPI State secretary M. Veerapandian said that since there was no majority for any single party or alliance, and the TVK had emerged as the single-largest party by winning 108 seats, Mr. Vijay had met the Governor, staking claim to form a government. It was unfair to ask him to prove his majority immediately, he said, adding that Mr. Vijay should be given adequate time to do so on the floor of the House. Mr. Veerapandian also said the Supreme Court had, in S.R. Bommai vs Union of India and many other cases, said enough time should be given to the leader of the single-largest party to prove its majority. The Governor should respect the Constitution and act accordingly, he added. P. Shanmugam, State secretary of the CPI(M), said the Governor should invite Mr. Vijay to form the government, as no other political party had staked a claim to do so. In a statement, he said the people of Tamil Nadu had not granted a majority to any alliance in the election, but had elected the TVK as the single-largest party with 108 seats. “Mr. Vijay alone has staked a claim to form the government. But the BJP is using the Governor and taking a stand against the Constitution. That is why the Governor is delaying the opportunity for Mr. Vijay to form the government,” he alleged. Meanwhile, MDMK general secretary Vaiko said DMK president M.K. Stalin’s stand that the DMK would not block the TVK from forming the government was “most excellent, laudable and timely, and demonstrates his statesmanship”. MNM president Kamal Haasan said the verdict in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election was unprecedented, as no party had been given the mandate to form the government on its own. “My brother, Mr. Stalin, has said that we respect the people’s verdict, and that we will function as a responsible Opposition. I respect his political maturity. Now, those holding constitutional responsibility must also fulfil their duty. This is not a request, but a reminder of their constitutional obligation,” he said. “The TVK, led by Mr. Vijay, has won 108 seats. Not inviting him to form the government would amount to disrespecting the mandate of the people of Tamil Nadu,” he said. TNCC to protest Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai announced a Statewide protest at all the district headquarters on Friday. In a letter to the district presidents of the party, Mr. Selvaperunthagai said the TVK had emerged as the single-largest party in the Assembly. The Governor, instead of inviting it to form the government, had been acting as the “puppet of the BJP government at the Centre”, he added. Earlier, TVK leaders reached out to the VCK and the two Communist parties, seeking their support. “Mr. Vijay called me and sought our party’s support for forming the government,” said VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, adding that the actor-politician had also sent a formal letter. “We have to discuss the issue with the frontline leaders of the party. We are also continuously discussing it with the leaders of the Communist parties. We will take a decision together,” Mr. Thirumavalavan said. Mr. Veerapandian said TVK general secretary ‘Bussy’ Anand met him and sought his party’s support for government formation. Aadhav Arjuna, another TVK leader, was also in touch with Mr. Veerapandian. “However, in a Communist party, individuals cannot take decisions on political issues. We have convened a meeting of our State council on May 8 to take a decision on the matter,” Mr. Veerapandian said.

DMK’s allies urge Governor to invite Vijay to form govt.

Enough time should be given to the leader of the single-largest party to prove its majority. The Governor should respect the Constitution and act accordingly, says CPI leader M. Veerapandian

In one voice: CPI State secretary M. Veerapandian, VCK president

Thol. Thirumavalavan; and MNM chief Kamal Haasan

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI 08.05.2026

Several allies of the DMK on Thursday said Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar should invite TVK president C. Joseph Vijay to form the government, as his party has emerged as the single-largest in the recent Assembly election.

In a statement, CPI State secretary M. Veerapandian said that since there was no majority for any single party or alliance, and the TVK had emerged as the single-largest party by winning 108 seats, Mr. Vijay had met the Governor, staking claim to form a government. It was unfair to ask him to prove his majority immediately, he said, adding that Mr. Vijay should be given adequate time to do so on the floor of the House.

Mr. Veerapandian also said the Supreme Court had, in S.R. Bommai vs Union of India and many other cases, said enough time should be given to the leader of the single-largest party to prove its majority. The Governor should respect the Constitution and act accordingly, he added.

P. Shanmugam, State secretary of the CPI(M), said the Governor should invite Mr. Vijay to form the government, as no other political party had staked a claim to do so.

In a statement, he said the people of Tamil Nadu had not granted a majority to any alliance in the election, but had elected the TVK as the single-largest party with 108 seats. “Mr. Vijay alone has staked a claim to form the government. But the BJP is using the Governor and taking a stand against the Constitution. That is why the Governor is delaying the opportunity for Mr. Vijay to form the government,” he alleged.

Meanwhile, MDMK general secretary Vaiko said DMK president M.K. Stalin’s stand that the DMK would not block the TVK from forming the government was “most excellent, laudable and timely, and demonstrates his statesmanship”.

MNM president Kamal Haasan said the verdict in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election was unprecedented, as no party had been given the mandate to form the government on its own.

“My brother, Mr. Stalin, has said that we respect the people’s verdict, and that we will function as a responsible Opposition. I respect his political maturity. Now, those holding constitutional responsibility must also fulfil their duty. This is not a request, but a reminder of their constitutional obligation,” he said.

“The TVK, led by Mr. Vijay, has won 108 seats. Not inviting him to form the government would amount to disrespecting the mandate of the people of Tamil Nadu,” he said.

TNCC to protest

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai announced a Statewide protest at all the district headquarters on Friday.

In a letter to the district presidents of the party, Mr. Selvaperunthagai said the TVK had emerged as the single-largest party in the Assembly. The Governor, instead of inviting it to form the government, had been acting as the “puppet of the BJP government at the Centre”, he added.

Earlier, TVK leaders reached out to the VCK and the two Communist parties, seeking their support.

“Mr. Vijay called me and sought our party’s support for forming the government,” said VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, adding that the actor-politician had also sent a formal letter.

“We have to discuss the issue with the frontline leaders of the party. We are also continuously discussing it with the leaders of the Communist parties. We will take a decision together,” Mr. Thirumavalavan said.

Mr. Veerapandian said TVK general secretary ‘Bussy’ Anand met him and sought his party’s support for government formation. Aadhav Arjuna, another TVK leader, was also in touch with Mr. Veerapandian.

“However, in a Communist party, individuals cannot take decisions on political issues. We have convened a meeting of our State council on May 8 to take a decision on the matter,” Mr. Veerapandian said.

Govt. formation: the options and precedents before Governor Arlekar

Facing flak: Some of the parties have begun criticising Mr. Arlekar for insisting on the production of letters of support.

T. Ramakrishnan

CHENNAI 08.05.2026

With Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar stating that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has not established the requisite majority support in the State Assembly to form a government, he has many options as precedents to examine.

On Thursday afternoon, Mr. Arlekar’s office made public this position, after two rounds of meetings over the past two days between the Governor and TVK founder C. Joseph Vijay, whose party had secured 108 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. As Mr. Vijay has been elected from two seats – Perambur and Tiruchi (East) – the party’s tally will effectively be 107.

Letters of support

Some of the parties have begun criticising Mr. Arlekar for insisting on the production of letters of support. Twenty years ago, when the DMK bagged only 96 seats in the 234-member Assembly, it formed the government only with the support of its allies, which accounted for 68 seats. The Hindu, on May 12, 2006, stated that “all the allies have submitted letters supporting the DMK to Governor Surjit Singh Barnala”.

In fact, in April 1999, when the Congress tried to form the government at the Centre after the collapse of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime, then President K.R. Narayanan had sought written assurances of support from the partners of a proposed coalition at the time of ministry-making, which he considered to have become a well-established precedent.

His predecessor, S.D. Sharma, who had issued the letter of appointment to Atal Bihari Vajpayee in May 1996 as Prime Minister during their first meeting, changed his approach a few weeks later and insisted on the letters of support when the United Front government, headed by Deve Gowda, was installed.

He “even went to the extent of securing undertakings on matters related to programmes”, stated this paper’s report on April 19, 1999. Narayanan himself observed the practice in March 1998, when Vajpayee formed a coalition with the help of parties such as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Sharma was severely criticised for his decision to appoint Vajpayee the Prime Minister even before the decision of the Congress to support Mr. Gowda was communicated to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Single-largest party

However, the precedent of inviting the leader of the single-largest party to form the government was created as early as in 1952, when the Congress set up its regime under the leadership of C. Rajagopalachari (CR). In the House of 375 members, the Congress obtained only 152 seats. A surprise inclusion in the CR Cabinet was the Commonweal Party’s leader, M.A. Manickavelu Naicker. By the time the Assembly was constituted in early May, the Congress’s strength rose to 165.

A former official of the Tamil Nadu government, who is well-versed with parliamentary practices and conventions, explains that there is nothing wrong with the Governor seeking letters, but he or she should not carry out a head count. The floor of the House is the best place for any party to demonstrate its strength. At the same time, the Governor cannot be oblivious to the possibility of horse-trading if he or she allows any party, which does not have a majority of its own or with the support of its allies, to form the government.

As regards the constitution of the new House, the former official adds that the practice in Tamil Nadu is for the Public Department to issue a Government Order on the formation of the Assembly, on receipt of documents from the Election Commission of India on the declaration of results, and get it published in the government gazette.

DMK-AIADMK coalition

The Governor can also find out from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president and the outgoing Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, and the AIADMK general secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, whether either of them, individually or jointly, are in a position to form the government. This assumes significance in the wake of reports of an understanding between the two Dravidian majors.

There are at least two precedents at the all-India level in support of this option. In July 1979, then President N. Sanjiva Reddi, after Prime Minister Morarji Desai of the Janata Party, had separate consultations with leaders of various parliamentary parties to make an assessment as to which of them would be in a position to marshal a durable majority for forming an alternative government at the Centre. It was after Y.B. Chavan, then Leader of the Opposition, conveyed to the President his inability to form the government, that an invitation was extended to Charan Singh, the leader of the breakaway Janata group, to form the government. Likewise, in November 1990, then President R. Venkataraman, after being informed by all major parties of their disinclination to form the government subsequent to the fall of the National Front regime headed by V.P. Singh, had asked Chandra Shekhar to form the government.

In case the Governor comes to the conclusion that no government can be formed under the given composition of the Assembly, he can recommend to the Central government the imposition of President’s rule, besides keeping the House in suspended animation, or even dissolution if possible. This was done in Bihar in 2005.

Notwithstanding these precedents, there have been a number of recommendations and judicial opinions on the issue of the Governor’s role in the appointment of Chief Minister in the case of a hung Assembly.

The Commission on Centre-State Relations, in Volume II, states that “the party or combination of parties, which commands the widest support in the Legislative Assembly, should be called upon to form the Government”. Headed by former Chief Justice of India M.M. Punchhi, the panel also goes on to state that “in case no party or pre-poll coalition has a clear majority, the Governor should select the Chief Minister in the order of preference indicated below: a. The group of parties which had pre-poll alliance commanding the largest number; b. The largest single party staking a claim to form the government with the support of others; c. A post-electoral coalition with all partners joining the government. A post-electoral alliance with some parties joining the government and the remaining including independents supporting the government from outside”.

DMK explores backing rival AIADMK in hung T.N. House

DMK explores backing rival AIADMK in hung T.N. House

Left parties and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi hold the key in government formation; Governor tells Vijay that his TVK, the single largest party with 107 MLAs-elect, has not established a majority

Outgoing Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin (third from right) at a meet of the DMK’s MLAs-elect in Chennai on Thursday. Special arrangement

B. Kolappan

Chennai 08.05.2026