Vijay’s TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats, but the fractured Tamil Nadu verdict has pushed the state into a tense government formation battle where every MLA now matters.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Joseph Vijaya faces a majority crisis as it fell short of the majority mark despite achieving the maximum number of seats in Tamil Nadu assembly elections 2026.
With acquiring 108 seats out of 234-member assembly, the party fell short of 10 seats to form a government, triggering intense negotiations, coalition calculations, and speculation over other parties’ alliances.
TVK has already received the backing of the Congress, which means that the tally of Vijay is now at 113 MLAs. Nonetheless, the coalition is yet to acquire a majority by 5 seats, leading to the fact that small regional parties are currently central to Tamil Nadu politics.
The fragmented mandate has also led to talks of an unlikely agreement between bitter rivals AIADMK and DMK, an outcome that would have a huge impact on the state’s politics if it were explored.
Hung Verdict Changes Tamil Nadu Politics
This year’s – 2026- Tamil Nadu assembly election has resulted in one of the most fractured outcomes in the state’s political history. Despite TVK emerging as the major player amongst the rest, the numbers still didn’t make it to the mark of the majority of any other party, ensuring that not a single party can independently form a government without claiming any alliance.
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Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2026 Seat Tally
| Party | Seats Won |
| TVK | 108 |
| DMK | 59 |
| AIADMK | 47 |
| INC | 5 |
| PMK | 4 |
| IUML | 2 |
| CPI | 2 |
| VCK | 2 |
| CPI(M) | 2 |
| BJP | 1 |
| DMDK | 1 |
| AMMK | 1 |
The unusual arithmetic has transformed parties with minimal representation into decisive players. PMK’s four MLAs, along with the two seats each won by IUML, CPI, VCK, and CPI(M), now carry enormous political significance.
Even Congress, despite securing just five seats, has suddenly become central to the government formation process after backing Vijay’s party.
AIADMK-DMK Alliance Speculation Gains Attention
The most significant political point coming out of this verdict relates to the possibility of an alliance between the AIADMK and DMK – something which earlier was deemed to be politically impossible within the highly polarized politics of Tamil Nadu.
Should there be an alliance between the two, their combined tally would amount to 106 seats, falling short by quite a distance of the majority figure of 118 seats.
The rumor has also created doubts about the possibility that both Congress and BJP, who have always been archrivals on a national scale, might somehow become partners in the same coalitional formation.
Neither AIADMK nor DMK, however, has formally announced any negotiations about allying in the election yet. Yet, DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan has stated that the final decision will be made by the leader of the party, MK Stalin.
“If Stalin takes such a decision, DMK will accept it. But so far that decision has not been taken,” Elangovan reportedly said, adding, “The leader’s decision is our decision.”
Despite the buzz, political observers believe ideological contradictions and decades of rivalry make such an alliance extremely difficult to execute.
Governor Seeks Proof of Majority
Amidst all the confusion, Vijay visited Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar for the second day in a row, as the constitutional issue regarding government formation continued.
According to reports, the governor has requested that TVK show proof of support from at least 118 MLAs before he is called upon to form the government. Raj Bhavan has also reportedly sought clarity on which additional parties are willing to support Vijay.
The developments have reignited a recurring constitutional debate seen in several hung assemblies across India — whether the single largest party should automatically get the first opportunity to form the government or whether the governor can seek evidence of majority support beforehand.
Several Supreme Court rulings, including the landmark SR Bommai case, have maintained that the majority should ultimately be tested on the floor of the House. At the same time, governors retain limited discretion in assessing whether a claimant is capable of forming a stable government.
Smaller Parties Hold the Key
For now, Tamil Nadu’s smaller parties have emerged as the real kingmakers.
Now that the gap between the ruling party coalition and the opposition is down to only a few members of the legislative assembly, every small party finds itself wielding exceptional bargaining strength.
Negotiations, diplomacy, and even backroom deals are all that lie ahead, as both camps attempt to secure the necessary votes in order to prove their claims right.
Vijay’s next challenge will be to secure enough additional votes to reach the necessary majority or prepare himself for what could turn out to be the biggest coalition adventure in Tamil Nadu’s political history.
