Vijay Would Have Been TN CM By Now If He Had Not Ignored This Advice: What Was His Mistake?

Last Updated:May 08, 2026, 2:27 pm IST

Political debutant and Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay was advised to avoid the error. All you need to know

TVK chief Vijay. (File)

An error in Vijay’s letter to the Governor on May 6 has reportedly proved to be a hurdle in his bid to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, according to news reports.

What makes it worse is that the political debutant and Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief was advised to avoid it. All you need to know.

Vijay’s appeal to Governor rejected because of this small error?

Despite his party, Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)emerging as the single largest party with 108 seats in its debut election, the Governor has twice turned him back for failing to provide conclusive proof of a majority (118 seats).

Political experts, India Today and other reports indicated that the error was twofold in how Vijay framed his claim to the Governor.

1. Instead of first staking a claim as the leader of the single largest party (with 108 TVKMLAs), Vijay submitted a list that included signatures of Congress MLAs.

2. By including these outside names, he effectively staked a claim for a coalition government rather than an independent TVK administration. This gave Governor Rajendra Arlekar grounds to insist on a confirmed list of 118 signatures before extending an invitation, said the India Today report.

Could the error have been avoided by political novice? Yes.

KA Sengottaiyan, the seniormost leader in Vijay’s team, a nine-time MLA who ditched the AIADMK in 2025 to join the TVK, had reportedly advised the party to submit only the 108 TVK names first to assert dominance, but the party opted for the combined list instead.

Where TVK stands now

Vijay’s reported support stands at roughly 112 to 113 MLAs (including Congress and some smaller parties), leaving him 5–6 seats short of the majority mark.

The Governor is reportedly “unconvinced” and has rejected requests for a swearing-in until the full majority is demonstrated in a written list.

While the TVK struggles to bridge the gap, there are rumours that long-time rivals DMK and AIADMK might consider an unprecedented alignment to keep Vijay out of power.

The five-day deadline

The term of the current Tamil Nadu Assembly ends on May 10, 2026. Vijay has until then to secure the necessary support from smaller parties like the VCK or Left parties to reach the magic number of 118.

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