Tamil Nadu Government Formation Hits Roadblock Amid Allegations of Horse Trading

T.T.V. Dhinakaran, General Secretary of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), met with Acting Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Friday, alleging that one of his party MLAs, Kamaraj, had gone missing amid attempts to cobble together a majority in the Tamil Nadu state Assembly. Dhinakaran claimed that Kamaraj had been staying in Puducherry with AIADMK legislators before his disappearance.

The political uncertainty in Tamil Nadu deepened after TVK President C. Joseph Vijay, whose party emerged as the single largest formation with 108 seats, failed to secure a clear majority. Vijay had secured letters of support from the Congress, CPI, and CPI(M), but the Governor refrained from inviting him to take oath, citing the lack of a clear majority.

Dhinakaran accused TVK of attempting to engineer defections, despite projecting itself as a party committed to clean politics. He said that the AMMK leadership would hold consultations with alliance partners before deciding on the next course of action.

The Governor will likely continue to monitor the situation, with the possibility of inviting a party to form the government if a clear majority is established. The AMMK and other parties are expected to hold further consultations in the coming days to try and break the stalemate.