Kamal Haasan, president of Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM) and a Rajya Sabha MP, expressed on Thursday that not inviting the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which emerged as the single largest party by securing 108 seats, to form the government in Tamil Nadu would be a “disrespect” of the people’s mandate. He called upon constitutional authorities to permit the party to demonstrate its majority in the Assembly.
In a post on X, Haasan remarked, “Not inviting him to form the government would amount to disrespecting the mandate of the people of Tamil Nadu. The 233 elected members are still unable to take their oaths. This is an insult to the state; a damage to democracy.” He referenced the Supreme Court’s ruling in the S R Bommai case, stating that a majority must be established on the floor of the House, not at the Raj Bhavan.
Additionally, Haasan acknowledged the outgoing Chief Minister M K Stalin’s statement regarding the election results, in which Stalin indicated an acceptance of the verdict and commitment to serving as a “responsible opposition.” Haasan stated, “I respect his political maturity,” referring to Stalin’s approach.
Meanwhile, sources indicated that Vijay, the leader of TVK, could be sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu pending his demonstration of majority support in the Assembly. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is reportedly keen on facilitating a “stable” government, according to ANI.
Vijay met with the Governor earlier in the day, claiming support from 112 MLAs, including five from Congress. Protests in support of TVK were held outside Lok Bhavan, with demonstrators demanding Vijay’s immediate swearing-in as Chief Minister.
Vijay is expected to resign from one of the two Assembly seats he contested, which would reduce the effective strength of the 234-member House to 233 and lower the majority requirement to 117. With backing from 112 MLAs, TVK remains five votes short of the halfway mark. In a related statement, Congress Legislature Party leader S Rajeshkumar affirmed that the party’s support for TVK was intended to respect the people’s mandate and work towards the welfare of the state.
