The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Friday, 8 May formally extended "unconditional support" to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), with CPI General Secretary D. Raja asserting that Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar must not create "hurdles" in government formation after the state's fractured mandate.

The development comes as Tamil Nadu navigates intense post-election negotiations following the 23 April Assembly elections, whose results — declared on 4 May — produced a hung Assembly.

CPI's Formal Support and What It Means

Interacting with reporters in New Delhi, Raja confirmed that the TVK, led by actor-politician C. Joseph Vijay, had formally approached the CPI, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), and the VCK seeking support. "We have responded to the letter positively. The Tamil Nadu unit of our party has taken a position in consultation with the national leadership of our party. We have agreed to extend support to the TVK," Raja said.

The CPI and CPI-M have two MLAs each, and their backing pushes the TVK-led combine's tally closer to the majority mark. With the Congress — which holds five seats — having already extended support to Vijay's party, the combine now stands at approximately 117 seats, one short of the 118-seat majority required in the 234-member House.

What the CPI Said About the Governor

Raja explicitly called on Governor Arlekar to invite the leader of the single largest party to form the government. "The Governor should not create hurdles. The Governor must follow the established practices and conventions of a parliamentary democracy. He should invite and allow the single largest party to form the government in the state," he said.

He stressed that the CPI's decision was taken in the interest of Tamil Nadu, to ensure a stable and "secular" government in the state.

Opposition Voices and Allegations of Horse Trading

The political temperature rose further as former Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi alleged that the Governor's office was being "used" to create an "environment for horse trading" in Tamil Nadu. "Respect should be given to people's mandate who have made TVK the single largest party," Chaturvedi said.

The allegations point to a broader concern among opposition parties that the Raj Bhavan could delay or complicate the government formation process — a pattern critics say has been visible in other states with hung Assemblies in recent years.

The Numbers Game in Tamil Nadu

The TVK secured 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, emerging as the single largest party but well short of a majority. The Congress (5 seats), CPI (2 seats), and CPI-M (2 seats) — all former members of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance — have now aligned with Vijay's camp, bringing the combine's total to an estimated 117 seats.

Notably, the CPI and CPI-M's pivot to TVK represents a significant realignment, as both parties had previously been part of the DMK-led front. Whether the TVK can secure the remaining seat or seats needed to cross the majority threshold — and how quickly the Governor responds — will determine the pace of government formation in the coming days.