Actor-turned-politician Vijay has made a strong entry into politics, with his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerging as the single largest party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
TVK has won 107 seats in the 234-member Assembly, just 11 short of the majority mark. This has raised questions about how the party will gather the remaining support needed to form the government.
As the largest party, TVK is likely to be invited to form the government, even if it starts as a minority government.
Party leaders are confident of getting support from other parties. They are looking at possible backing from parties currently allied with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), including the Indian National Congress, which has five seats, and smaller parties like CPI, CPIM, and VCK, which have two seats each.
Another option could be support from the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), which has five seats.
However, support from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) looks unlikely due to its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which Vijay has opposed.
A young TVK leader, Rhevanth Charan, said the party is confident of forming the government and that decisions on alliances will be taken by the leadership soon.
This election marks a major moment for TVK, as it has performed strongly in its first election. Vijay also won from both Perambur and Trichy East constituencies, and the party secured a big win in Chennai, taking 14 out of 16 seats.
During the campaign, Vijay chose to contest alone against the DMK, and the strategy seems to have worked.
Now, the focus is on post-election talks, as TVK works to gather support and cross the majority mark. The swearing-in ceremony could take place soon, possibly by May 7.
