TTV Dhinakaran of AMMK meets Governor, seeks invite for AIADMK govt

In a fresh twist to Tamil Nadu’s political drama, AMMK chief T. T. V. Dhinakaran on Friday met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to back AIADMK’s claim to form the government, alleging his party’s lone MLA is missing amid suspected horse-trading.

During the meeting, Dhinakaran submitted a letter extending full support to Edappadi K. Palaniswami and urged that he be invited to form the government. “I hereby extend my full support to the claim of Thiru Edappadi K. Palaniswami to form the new Government of the State of Tamil Nadu,” he said in the letter, adding that his party has one MLA, Kamaraj S from Mannargudi, who had backed the move.

However, Dhinakaran claimed that the same MLA is now untraceable and may have been targeted in alleged poaching attempts. He told the Governor that the legislator could have been “bought using money” and pointed fingers at TVK chief Vijay.

Kamaraj S

Accusing Vijay of “doing injustice,” Dhinakaran also took a swipe at his political positioning, saying he calls himself “thooya sakthi” (pure force) while engaging in such actions.

The intervention comes at a time when Vijay continues to stake claim with support from Congress, Left parties and VCK, pushing his numbers close to the majority mark. Dhinakaran’s move backing AIADMK adds another layer of complexity to the numbers game, with competing claims and counter-allegations intensifying the race to form the government in Tamil Nadu.

Sources in Lok Bhavan said a statement on the developments is expected shortly as the Governor weighs the competing claims.

Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu’s post-poll drama had taken a sharp turn as TVK chief Vijay appeared set to be sworn in as Chief Minister on Saturday, before last-minute uncertainty stalled the process.

Sources said Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar held back the official announcement after a crucial letter of support from the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) did not arrive. Vijay had met the Governor and submitted signatures of 116 MLAs, just short of the majority mark.

The situation became more fluid after the Indian Union Muslim League distanced itself from earlier reports of backing TVK. Efforts were on to reach VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, who was said to be unavailable. The delay also coincided with intense negotiations, with VCK reportedly seeking the Deputy Chief Minister’s post. The uncertainty followed days of rapid political shifts after a fractured verdict left parties scrambling to secure numbers.