‘Governments Are Decided On House Floor, Not Lok Bhavan Lawns’: Congress Backs Vijay As Raj Bhavan Questions TVK’s Numbers
Congress MP Manickam Tagore calls Vijay ‘symbol of hope’, says stopping a people-backed government is ‘a crime’ as pressure mounts on Governor Vishwanath Rajendra Arlekar over inviting TVK to form the government.
- Election News
- 6 min read
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee on Thursday mounted a sharp political attack amid the escalating government formation crisis in the state, declaring that “governments are not decided on the lawns of Lok Bhavan” but on the floor of the Assembly, as pressure intensified on Governor Vishwanath Rajendra Arlekar to invite Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay to form the government.
In a strongly-worded post on X, the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee said, “Governments are not decided on the lawns of Lok Bhavan. They are decided on the floor of the House.”
The post comes amid a constitutional and political standoff after Vijay met the Governor at Lok Bhavan earlier in the day, for the second time in two days to stake claim to form the government following TVK’s emergence as the single-largest party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Congress Throws Full Weight Behind Vijay
Backing Vijay’s claim, Congress MP Manickam Tagore alleged that attempts were being made to prevent the actor-turned-politician from becoming Chief Minister despite receiving a clear mandate for “change and hope”.
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“We all know that in Tamil Nadu, people have voted for change. People have voted for a new leader. 108 members have been elected from that party,” Tagore told ANI.
With Congress extending support through its five MLAs, TVK’s tally had reached 113 in the 234-member Assembly, just short of the majority mark of 118.
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However, Tagore accused the BJP of attempting to obstruct Vijay’s path to power through the Governor.
“The Governor is of the BJP because he is a former BJP man and we all know that he has the BJP's mindset. Delhi’s mindset is not to make Mr Vijay Chief Minister,” Tagore alleged.
He further claimed that despite the BJP having only one MLA in Tamil Nadu, it was attempting to influence the government formation process.
“Stopping a government which is voted for change and hope is a crime,” he said.
The Congress leader insisted that Vijay should immediately be invited to form the government and allowed to prove his majority on the Assembly floor through a trust vote.
“I feel that Mr Vijay should be invited to form the government quickly and he should be allowed to face the floor test. That is the natural justice,” Tagore added.
Inside Vijay-Governor Meeting
The political confrontation intensified after crucial details emerged from Vijay’s meeting with Governor Arlekar.
Sources told Republic that Vijay did not independently seek Thursday’s meeting. Instead, Raj Bhavan itself invited the TVK chief for clarifications regarding government formation.
During the meeting, the Governor reportedly raised tough questions over TVK’s numbers and the feasibility of a stable government with only 113 supporting MLAs.
Among the questions posed to Vijay were:
- “How will you form a government with 113 MLAs?”
- “Which other party will support the TVK government?”
- “Can a stable government be formed with 113 MLAs?”
- “How can you assure that you will prove majority after taking oath?”
- “Can action be taken merely based on the assumption that majority support will eventually come?”
The questions assume significance because TVK’s effective tally may further reduce after Vijay vacates one of the two Assembly seats he won, bringing TVK’s strength down to 107. Along with Congress’ five MLAs, the alliance would effectively stand at 112, still short of the halfway mark.
CPI Also Backs TVK
The Communist Party of India (CPI) also entered the debate on Thursday, urging the Governor to act “in accordance with the Constitution” and allow TVK to form the government as the single-largest party.
In an official statement, the CPI argued that constitutional conventions and Supreme Court judgments, including the landmark SR Bommai case verdict, make it clear that majority should be tested on the floor of the House, not before swearing-in.
The Left party termed it “inappropriate” for the Governor to insist on proof of majority before inviting Vijay to take oath.
AIADMK Turmoil Adds To Political Uncertainty
The developments unfolded even as confusion and internal turmoil gripped the AIADMK camp.
Republic had earlier reported that AIADMK MLAs were shifted to a luxury resort in Puducherry amid fears of rebellion and possible cross-voting during a likely trust vote.
According to sources, nearly 40 MLAs were moved after divisions surfaced within the party over whether to support TVK.
A significant section of AIADMK legislators was reportedly open to backing Vijay, while others strongly opposed any understanding with the DMK, calling it “political suicide”.
However, after discussions between Edappadi K. Palaniswami and C. V. Shanmugam, the party leadership ultimately decided against supporting TVK.
Despite that, all 46 AIADMK MLAs have now been moved to a resort in Puducherry for the next three days amid fears of poaching and defections.
Dravidian Duopoly Shaken
The 2026 Assembly elections have dramatically altered Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, weakening the decades-old dominance of the DMK and AIADMK.
TVK’s stunning debut performance under Vijay has transformed the actor-politician into the central figure of the state’s power battle, with Congress now openly projecting him as the face of political change in Tamil Nadu.
With constitutional questions, resort politics, alliance arithmetic and aggressive political messaging all colliding at once, the race to form Tamil Nadu’s next government remains wide open.