The Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have on Friday decided to extend outside support to the government formation following the hectic efforts made by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-politician Vijay.
Vijay is expected to meet Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar shortly to stake a claim to form the next government.
The development comes after Governor R V Arlekar reportedly said that TVK could be invited to form the government only if it submitted letters of support from alliance parties.
Following this, TVK sent letters to both the CPI and CPM on Tuesday night seeking their support for government formation. The party also requested the support of the four MLAs belonging to both left parties and asked them to provide formal letters of support.
On Thursday afternoon, TVK state joint general secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar personally met CPI state secretary M Veerapandian and CPM state secretary P Shanmugam at their respective party offices and placed the request.
Both the Left parties had already planned their state-level meetings on Friday. Based on the decisions taken in those meetings, the CPI issued a letter extending unconditional support to TVK for forming the government.
Sources in the CPM said the party would also issue a similar support letter within a few hours, most likely by Friday evening, extending unconditional support to TVK.
The support from the Congress, which has five MLAs, along with two legislators each from the CPI, CPI(M) and VCK, takes the TVK-led bloc to the exact majority mark of 118 in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly. TVK itself has 107 MLAs.
Sources further said senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge held discussions with leaders of the CPI, CPI(M) and VCK to secure support for the TVK.
Earlier in the day, the CPI (M), an ally of the DMK, commenced an internal discussion on Friday over supporting TVK in government formation is obtaining the individual opinion of its executive members, a source in the party said.
Meanwhile, in a significant statement, BJP State president Nainar Nagenthran, in a statement here, said in the current election, the people of Tamil Nadu did not allow the BJP to form the government in the State. Hence, the BJP will not engage in any effort to form the next government.
"Besides, the BJP will not vote for any party which is engaged in an attempt form the next government," Nagenthran said.
The BJP distancing itself from the ongoing political developments is seen as clearing the way for the AIADMK to form a government with the support of the DMK, if such an opportunity arises. However, sources said the DMK is already strongly rethinking about extending outside support for the AIADMK.
Meanwhile, nonagenarian politician and BJP leader HV Hande said the Governor should invite the TVK president Vijay to form the next government without any delay.
"Any delay by the Governor in asking Vijay to form the government would be an unpardonable miscarriage of justice by the Governor. Without further delay, the TVK leader must be allowed to prove his majority on the floor of the Tamil Nadu Assembly," he added.
(With inputs from S Kumaresan, Express News Service)