No detours: On the Tamil Nadu elections, post-poll outcome
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and its leader
C. Joseph Vijay, who was sworn in as Chief Minister along with nine Ministers from the party on Sunday, took the shortest and straightest route to power. Falling 10 seats short of the 118-seat majority mark, the TVK secured the support of four ideologically aligned parties — the Congress (five MLAs), CPI(M), CPI, and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, or VCK (two each) — with the IUML’s two MLAs taking the tally to 121. The TVK had, soon after its formation, sought to position the Congress and the VCK as ideological partners; that it has now drawn support from them and the Left and the IUML, even though they contested within the
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
-led coalition, is therefore not out of place. The alternative mooted by AIADMK leaders, and endorsed by some DMK leaders — an
AIADMK government propped up by the DMK
— would have been an immoral exercise. In any case, outgoing Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was against such a farcical twist. Meanwhile, by demanding written proof of 118 MLAs’ support before inviting the TVK, the single largest party, to form the government, Governor Rajendra Arlekar ignored the Sarkaria Commission framework — which prioritises the single largest party with outside support next only to a pre-poll alliance — and the Supreme Court’s ruling in Rameshwar Prasad (2006) that only the floor of the House can test a Ministry’s strength.
The Congress, for its part, jumped at the offer opportunistically, pledging support to the TVK and committing to an alliance for local, Assembly and parliamentary elections. That it would so casually jeopardise a decades-old alliance with the DMK is unsurprising. The party contested the 2026 elections half-heartedly, divided at the top, and that ambivalence showed in its returns: in the 28 seats it contested, it polled just 28% of the vote — the second-lowest share within the DMK-led coalition; only the late-entrant DMDK did worse. It was also short-sighted, given that this alliance helped the INDIA bloc win all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu in 2024. The Left and VCK lent support to the TVK while citing the need for a stable government and reiterating their partnership with the DMK against communal forces. The elections produced Tamil Nadu’s first hung verdict in decades, and the response to it was a test of constitutional propriety and political character. Despite an avoidable delay, a TVK-led government has eventually taken charge. It is now incumbent upon Mr. Vijay to build on the foundations laid by Dravidian governments, under whose stewardship Tamil Nadu has emerged as one of the front-runners of the Indian economy by prioritising industrial development and socio-economic equity.
- 1The formation of the TVK government highlights critical aspects of gubernatorial discretion and coalition politics in a hung assembly. Governor Rajendra Arlekar's demand for written proof of majority from the single largest party, TVK, before inviting them, contradicted established constitutional conventions and judicial precedents. The Sarkaria Commission, for instance, recommended that the Governor should first invite the leader of the single largest party or pre-poll alliance to form the government, and the majority should be tested on the floor of the House. This principle is crucial for upholding parliamentary democracy and preventing arbitrary actions by the Governor.
- 2The political realignment in Tamil Nadu, with Congress abandoning its decades-old alliance with the DMK for TVK, reflects the dynamic nature of domestic policy and coalition strategies in Indian federalism. This shift, despite the Congress's poor performance in the 2026 state elections, underscores regional parties' growing assertiveness and their impact on national alliances like the INDIA bloc. Tamil Nadu's consistent focus on industrial development and socio-economic equity under Dravidian governments has positioned it as a front-runner in the Indian economy, demonstrating the effectiveness of state-level policy interventions in fostering inclusive growth and human development.
- 3The Governor's actions in demanding written proof of support from the TVK before inviting them to form the government raise significant legal and constitutional questions regarding the scope of gubernatorial powers. This stance directly contravened the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994) and Rameshwar Prasad (2006), which unequivocally established that the majority of a government must be tested on the floor of the House, not by the Governor's subjective assessment. Such disregard for established legal precedents undermines the constitutional framework and can lead to political instability, emphasizing the judiciary's role in upholding constitutional propriety.
- 4Tamil Nadu's economic success story, highlighted by its status as a front-runner in the Indian economy, is largely attributable to the sustained focus on industrial development and socio-economic equity by successive Dravidian governments. This approach has led to significant advancements in human development indicators, including high literacy rates and robust public health infrastructure, often surpassing national averages. The state's emphasis on social welfare schemes and industrialisation has created a strong foundation for inclusive growth, making it a model for other states striving to balance economic prosperity with social justice and poverty alleviation.