By M.R. Narayan Swamy
After days of uncertainty, movie heartthrob Vijay is finally set to be Tamil Nadu’s new chief minister after securing the support of three smaller parties, which helped him cross the magic number needed to form a government in the southern state.
Losing no time, Vijay, 51, one of India’s highest-paid film stars, on Friday staked claim to form a government at his third meeting in as many days with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who until now refused to let him take power till he produced proof that he had the support of 118 legislators.
A hung verdict in Tamil Nadu on May 4 saw Vijay’s Tamiliga Vettri Kazhagam (VTK) win as many as 108 seats, but that was ten short of the minimum needed for any party or coalition to form a government.
The political uncertainty triggered by the governor’s stance led to widespread speculation, prompting the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) to announce that their two MLAs each would support a Vijay-led government.
The Congress had earlier pledged the support of all five of its legislators to Vijay after breaking its decades-long political alliance with the DMK, the party of outgoing Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. The party is now widely expected to join the Vijay-led government.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which holds two seats, initially announced its support for Vijay before backtracking on that declaration.
Vijay, who entered politics just two years ago but in that short span has virtually rewritten Tamil Nadu’s political script, appeared notably relaxed as he met the governor on Friday, dressed in blue jeans and a white shirt — a departure from the now-iconic white shirt and khaki-beige trousers that had until now defined his political appearances and become closely associated with both his personal image and the identity of TVK.
Soon after, he drove to the Chennai offices of the CPI and CPI (M) to thank them for the decision to back him, which in turn propelled the VCK to follow suit.
Leaders of the CPI and CPI (M), however, made it clear that they would remain aligned with the DMK led by Stalin, and their decision to back Vijay was aimed at preventing federal rule in Tamil Nadu, which would have made Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP the backseat driver for all practical purposes.
Celebrations immediately erupted all across Tamil Nadu, one of India’s economically most successful states with 85 million people, as jubilant Vijay supporters took to the streets, bursting crackers and distributing sweets.
Sources within the soon-to-governing TVK party told Jaffna Monitor that VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan could be appointed Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, despite his party holding only two legislative seats. Thirumavalavan is expected to contest one of the two constituencies Vijay must vacate after winning from two seats.
If and when Congress and VCK join the Vijay government as cabinet partners, it would herald the first ruling coalition in Tamil Nadu since 1967. Since then, when the DMK first stormed to power, the state has been ruled by the DMK or AIADMK, the two Dravidian giants which bit the dust in the latest elections.
According to some political sources, Vijay could be administered the oath of office and secrecy as early as Saturday at the head of a small government. His first mission would be to secure a legislative majority in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
As of now, Vijay has the backing of 107 of his own MLAs (the actor won from two seats), plus five of the Congress and six others from the CPI, CPI (M), and VCK, taking the total to 120.
This would be just hovering on the safety margin of 118, and sources close to Vijay told Jaffna Monitor that he would like at least a third of the 47 AIADMK legislators to break ranks and support his government, giving him an administrative stability without which governance would go for a toss.
In any case, since the four Communist legislators have not snapped ties with the DMK, Vijay is aware that they won’t be with him on all contentious issues.
The Tamil Nadu verdict cut to size India’s two national parties – the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress strength in the Assembly crashed from double digits to five while the BJP now has just one member, down from four legislators in the outgoing House.
While the Congress quickly recalibrated its political posture in Tamil Nadu after the election by shaking hands with Vijay, the BJP remains opposed to the actor-turned-politician who has pledged not to encourage “communal forces”.
