Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Thursday conveyed to TVK chief Vijay that his party does not have the requisite support to form the government, triggering criticism across the political spectrum over Tamil Nadu’s political crisis and the legality of whether the governor is overstepping his constitutional authority.

Senior Congress leader Praveen Chakravarthy told The Telegraph Online that a governor cannot subjectively decide a majority and must rely on objective constitutional tests, like floor tests in the Assembly.

“There are two judgments in the Indian legal system that have clearly laid down that questions of majority must ordinarily be tested on the floor of the Assembly and not determined through the Governor’s subjective assessment,” said Chakravarthy.

Tamil Nadu’s new government was supposed to take oath today. Chakravarthy said the formation of government has been stalled indefinitely.

TVK cadres staged a protest demonstration outside the Lok Bhavan on Thursday, demanding that the governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar should allow the party chief Vijay to form the government.

Despite providing the list of 112 supporting MLAs, including those of Congress, to the governor, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is yet to invite Vijay to form the government.

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar for not inviting Vijay-led TVK to form the government, alleging that governors are "agents" of the BJP who "maul" the Constitution to serve that party's interests.

Sibal's remarks come amid Vijay's efforts to cobble up support to form his maiden government after his TVK emerged as the single largest party in the April 23 assembly polls.

In a post on X, Sibal said, "Tamil Nadu... Governors are agents of BJP. They maul the Constitution to serve BJP's interests.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday termed as "unfair" Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar not inviting TVK chief Vijay to form the government in that state, despite emerging as the single largest party.

He urged the Governor to allow TVK to form the government and prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly.

"In Tamil Nadu what the Governor is doing is not fair. He should allow the single largest party (TVK) to form the government and ask them to take the floor test," Shivakumar said.

CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby on Thursday called upon Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to uphold democratic conventions by inviting the TVK to form the government as it was the single largest party in a fractured assembly.

Speaking on the political impasse in Tamil Nadu, the CPI (M) top leader argued that in the absence of a clear majority or a pre-poll alliance reaching the magic number, constitutional precedent dictates that the leader of the largest party be sworn in. He cited the 1996 invitation to BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a historical parallel.

"The governor's office should be beyond suspicion," Baby told PTI Videos, questioning the delay in the invitation and demanding that Vijay be given reasonable time to prove his majority on the floor of the House.

Addressing the CPI(M)'s own position, Baby admitted that their alliance with the DMK was defeated. He noted that the party leadership would meet in Chennai to discuss their future course of action in this "peculiar situation."