Tamil Nadu Lok Bhavan on Thursday said Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar explained to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay that his party does not have requisite support to form the government.

The Lok Bhavan said Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar invited TVK President C Joseph Vijay, to Lok Bhavan on Thursday, for the second interaction between the two since Wednesday.

Vijay spent about 40 minutes at Raj Bhavan on Thursday, a day after submitting the Congress’ letter of support to the Governor.

During the meeting, the Governor explained that the requisite majority support in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, essential for forming the government, has not been established.

The TVK, which emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly, was planning to form a government with the five seats won by Congress.

Vijay was expected to take the oath as chief minister on May 7 at an event in Nehru Indoor Stadium. Top Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge were likely to attend the ceremony.

Since the Governor has not invited TVK to form the government, the oath-taking seems unlikely on Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, there were reports that indicated DMK, which has won 59 seats and AIADMK, which has won 47 seats, are likely to join hands to form a government.

"Do you think it is possible?", questioned Ex-MP and former AIADMK P K C Palanisamy on the reports.

He told PTI that "even if there is a possibility of a tie-up between DMK and AIADMK, both will face severe consequences in allocating minister posts. Who will be the chief minister? That would be a big question mark". Palanisamy also pointed out that several leaders in both DMK and AIADMK will not accept the tie-up.

Senior AIADMK leader S Semmalai denied speculation that party chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami would meet the Governor or had opened channels with the TVK. “There is no such need,” he said, adding that the AIADMK had not received any request for support from Vijay’s party.

The DMK, too, refrained from commenting directly on reports of possible coordination with the AIADMK, though senior leader T.R. Baalu attacked the Congress for “betraying” voters who backed the DMK-led alliance in the election.

The TVK reached out to other parties for support on Thursday. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan confirmed receiving a formal request from Vijay but stopped short of extending backing.

“Our party’s high-level committee will decide soon after discussing the merits and demerits,” he said, while also urging the Governor to invite Vijay to form the government, calling it “the people’s verdict”.

The uncertainty of oath taking spilled onto the streets of Chennai, where hundreds of TVK supporters had gathered outside Nehru Indoor Stadium expecting a swearing-in ceremony, only to find the venue shut and no official announcement.

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

Expressing their disappointment that Vijay could not be sworn in today, the cadres said that they have decided to remain in Chennai until the oath-taking ceremony is held.

On Wednesday, Vijay met Arlekar and staked a claim to form the government in the state after the Congress, in a major political shift and realignment, announced its support for the actor-turned politician's party while severing its ties with the pre-poll ally DMK.

Soon after, Congress leader Jothimani, hinted that the Governor was not inviting Vijay to form the government, and slammed the BJP for “doing politics via the Lok Bhavan.”

“The Governor should immediately invite TVK leader Vijay to form the government," she said.

The Congress accused the BJP of “doing politics through Raj Bhavan” and insisting that the TVK, as the single largest party, must be invited to prove its majority on the Assembly floor.

“There is no need to prove majority in Raj Bhavan. The place to prove majority is the Assembly,” Congress MP Jothimani said, citing Supreme Court rulings.

The BJP rejected allegations of interference, saying the Governor would act strictly according to constitutional norms.

“Everything will happen in a democratic way. The Governor will go by the Constitution and the rule book,” BJP spokesperson Narayanan Tirupathy said.