AIADMK leaders hold crisis talks as TVK nears Tamil Nadu govt formation
Synopsis
Tamil Nadu's post-election drama is reaching a decisive moment. With TVK now commanding 120 MLAs and Vijay meeting the Governor four times in as many days, the AIADMK's window to stake a rival claim is rapidly closing — and its internal consultations suggest the party itself hasn't decided what comes next.
Key Takeaways
Senior AIADMK leaders met party leader C.V.
Shanmugam on 9 May as general secretary Edappadi K.
Palaniswami is yet to finalise the party's strategy.
TVK won 108 seats in the 23 April Tamil Nadu polls, short of the 118-seat majority mark in the 234-member Assembly.
TVK now has the backing of 120 MLAs , including support from Congress , CPI , CPI-M , VCK , and IUML .
Actor-politician Vijay met Governor-in-charge Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar for the fourth consecutive time to stake a claim to form the government.
IUML leaders formally submitted a signed letter of support for a TVK -led government to the Governor.
Senior AIADMK leaders, including former ministers S.P. Velumani, C. Vijayabaskar, and Leema Rose, held separate consultations with senior party leader C.V. Shanmugam on 9 May amid fast-moving political developments in Tamil Nadu. The meetings come as AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami is yet to finalise the party's political strategy in the post-election situation.
Background: A Hung Assembly
Tamil Nadu's 234-member Legislative Assembly went to polls in a single phase on 23 April, witnessing a fierce four-cornered contest involving the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), AIADMK, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), and actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). When votes were counted on 4 May, the TVK emerged as the single largest party, winning 108 seats — falling short of the majority mark of 118.
TVK Builds a Coalition
Since the results, TVK has moved swiftly to consolidate support. The Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) have all announced backing for Vijay's party. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) also formally extended support, with its legislative party leader SSB Syed Farook Basha and deputy leader A.M. Shahjahan submitting a signed letter to Governor-in-charge Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar expressing the party's support for a TVK-led government.
According to the latest tally, TVK now commands the backing of 120 MLAs — comprising 107 from TVK itself, five from the Congress, and two each from the CPI, CPI-M, VCK, and IUML — crossing the majority threshold of 118.
Vijay Meets Governor Again
Actor-turned-politician Vijay met the Governor for the fourth consecutive time to formally stake a claim to form the next government in the state. The repeated meetings signal mounting pressure on the Raj Bhavan to invite the TVK-led coalition to take power.
AIADMK's Uncertain Path
The internal consultations within the AIADMK reflect the party's scramble to define a role for itself in a rapidly closing political window. The party has reportedly been making intense efforts to secure outside support and stake a rival claim to form the government, but the arithmetic increasingly appears to favour TVK. Notably, this marks a significant setback for the AIADMK, which had governed Tamil Nadu for a decade before losing power to the DMK in 2021. How Palaniswami responds in the coming days will shape the party's trajectory as both a legislative opposition and a political force ahead of future elections.
Point of View
Fragmented consultations — rather than a unified war-room response — suggest a party that has not yet internalised the scale of its electoral setback. With TVK already past the majority mark and the Governor facing mounting pressure, the AIADMK's window to shape government formation is effectively closed. The more consequential question is whether Palaniswami can hold the party together in opposition, or whether the post-election arithmetic accelerates internal fractures that have been building since the 2021 defeat. Tamil Nadu's opposition space rarely stays vacant for long.
NationPress
12 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current political situation in Tamil Nadu after the 2025 Assembly election?
Tamil Nadu's 234-member Assembly returned a hung verdict on 4 May, with actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerging as the single largest party with 108 seats, short of the 118-seat majority. TVK has since secured coalition support to reach 120 MLAs, crossing the majority threshold.
Why are AIADMK leaders holding internal meetings?
Senior AIADMK leaders are consulting party leader C.V. Shanmugam as general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has not yet finalised the party's political strategy. The meetings reflect the party's attempt to determine its next move as TVK moves closer to forming the government.
Which parties have extended support to TVK?
The CPI, CPI-M, VCK, Congress, and IUML have all extended support to TVK, giving it the backing of 120 MLAs in total — two more than the 118 needed for a majority in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.
How many times has Vijay met the Governor to stake a claim?
Actor-politician Vijay has met Governor-in-charge Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar four times in as many days to formally stake a claim to form the next government in Tamil Nadu.
What is AIADMK's position in the Tamil Nadu election results?
The AIADMK did not emerge as the single largest party in the 2025 Tamil Nadu Assembly election. The party has been attempting to secure outside support to stake a rival claim to form the government, but the coalition arithmetic currently favours TVK.
