Actor-politician Vijay on Thursday received support from the film industry, even as Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has not yet established the required majority to form the government.

After Kamal Haasan, Kollywood celebrities like Khushboo Sundar and Vishal publicly supported Vijay after he met the Governor and staked his claim. TVK said it has secured the support of Congress MLAs, taking its tally to 112. However, this figure is less than the 118 required for majority in the 234-member Assembly. It is expected that Vijay will vacate one of the two seats he won.

Khushboo supports ‘Thambi’ Vijay

BJP member Khushboo Sundar extended her support to Vijay despite her husband Sundar C K contesting from Madurai as part of the AIADMK-led NDA alliance.

Posting on Instagram, he described Vijay as his “thambi” (younger brother), writing, “As a citizen of Tamil Nadu, when people have elected their CM, he should lead.”

Before the elections, Sundar C had also refrained from criticizing Vijay, given their close personal bond, where Khushboo considers Vijay as her younger brother, and she addresses him as “Akka” (elder sister).

Check out his post here:

Vishal cites examples from other states

Actor Vishal also expressed support by pointing to the examples of states like Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya and Karnataka, where parties were invited to form the government and later prove their majority through a floor test.

Questioning the Governor’s stance, he wrote, “Why is the Governor of Tamil Nadu hesitating to give Vijay a chance to form the government in the same way? How is the respect for the people’s mandate?”

The state needs an elected government instead of Governor’s rule, he said, stressing that the people’s mandate must be respected. Expressing confidence, he said that Vijay should and will form the government.

See his post here:

numbers fall short of majority

Earlier, actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) leader Kamal Haasan said the mandate should be respected in Tamil Nadu after the fractured verdict in the assembly elections, and argued that Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay, as the leader of the single largest party, should be invited to form the government.

The support of film personalities has come amid the ongoing political impasse. Governor Arlekar has said that TVK has not yet demonstrated the required majority.

With a claimed strength of 112, the party remains below half the figure of 118 in the assembly, leaving the question of government formation unresolved for now.