Vijay secures 120 MLA support to form Tamil Nadu government
Synopsis
Actor-turned-politician Vijay has crossed the majority mark in Tamil Nadu's 234-member Assembly with 120 MLA backing, including support from Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK, and IUML. His father S.A. Chandrashekhar summed up the moment in two words — 'Very happy' — as TVK's rapid rise from a new party to the ruling formation reshapes Tamil Nadu politics.
Key Takeaways
Joseph Vijay secured the backing of 120 MLAs on 9 May 2025 to stake claim for government formation in Tamil Nadu .
TVK emerged as the single-largest party with 108 seats in the 23 April Assembly elections; effective strength stands at 107 after Vijay vacated one seat.
Allied support comes from Congress (5) , CPI (2) , CPI(M) (2) , VCK (2) , and IUML (2) .
IUML submitted a signed letter to Governor-in-charge Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar backing TVK's government formation bid.
TVK General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna confirmed Vijay would soon be sworn in as Chief Minister.
Vijay's father and veteran filmmaker S.A.
Chandrashekhar said he was "Very happy" about his son's political milestone.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay crossed the majority mark in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly on Saturday, 9 May, securing the backing of 120 MLAs to stake claim to form the next government in the state. The development brings Vijay significantly closer to being sworn in as Tamil Nadu's next Chief Minister.
Father's Emotional Reaction
Veteran Tamil filmmaker S.A. Chandrashekhar, Vijay's father, reacted with visible emotion to the fast-moving political developments.
Point of View
And the ideological range from Congress to CPI(M) to IUML will test Vijay's political management skills from day one. The bigger question is whether TVK's governance instincts match its electoral momentum — Tamil Nadu's voters have historically been unforgiving of underperformance, as both the DMK and AIADMK have discovered in alternating cycles.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many MLAs does Vijay have support from to form the Tamil Nadu government?
C. Joseph Vijay has secured the backing of 120 MLAs as of 9 May 2025, comfortably crossing the majority mark in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly. This includes 107 TVK MLAs and support from Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK, and IUML.
What were the Tamil Nadu Assembly election results in April 2025?
The Tamil Nadu Assembly elections were held on 23 April 2025, with results declared on 4 May. TVK emerged as the single-largest party with 108 seats, followed by the DMK, AIADMK, and NTK in a fierce four-cornered contest.
Which parties have extended support to TVK for government formation?
Congress (5 MLAs), CPI (2), CPI(M) (2), VCK (2), and IUML (2) have formally extended support to TVK. IUML submitted a signed letter to the Governor-in-charge backing the TVK-led government formation bid.
When is Vijay expected to be sworn in as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister?
TVK General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna stated that Vijay would soon take oath as the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Vijay has reportedly sought an urgent appointment with Governor-in-charge Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar ahead of the latter's scheduled departure to Kerala.
Why did TVK's seat count drop from 108 to 107?
Vijay won two Assembly constituencies in the April 2025 elections but chose to retain only one, as per electoral rules that require a legislator to vacate the additional seat. This reduced TVK's effective Assembly strength from 108 to 107.
