Tamil Nadu Political Crisis Deepens Amid Horse-Trading Allegations, President’s Rule Speculation

Chennai, May 2026 : Speculation over the possible imposition of President’s Rule in Tamil Nadu intensified on Friday as the political deadlock surrounding government formation deepened amid allegations of horse-trading, forged support letters and confusion over the loyalties of legislators.

With the tenure of the present state government ending on May 10, uncertainty continues over which political formation will ultimately be invited to form the next government in the 234-member Assembly.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has reportedly made it clear that no party or alliance would be invited to form the government unless it demonstrates the support of at least 118 MLAs, the simple majority mark required in the Assembly.

Actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which emerged as the single largest party in the April 23 Assembly elections by winning 108 seats, has been making intense efforts to secure outside support from smaller parties and independents.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led alliance secured 73 seats, while the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-led front won 53 seats.

Following the fractured verdict, TVK opened discussions with several opposition parties, including the Indian National Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M).

The Congress extended support through its five MLAs, taking TVK’s effective tally to 113. CPI and CPI(M), both with two MLAs each, later announced unconditional outside support to a Vijay-led government, pushing the number to 117 — just one short of the majority mark.

However, political uncertainty persisted because Vijay had contested and won from two Assembly constituencies. Under election rules, he will eventually have to vacate one seat, reducing the effective strength of the party once again and leaving it short of the required majority.

Although support from VCK is widely expected, there is still uncertainty regarding the final arithmetic required to form the government.

The crisis escalated dramatically late on Friday night when T. T. V. Dhinakaran, chief of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), rushed to Raj Bhavan and met Governor Arlekar alleging large-scale horse-trading by TVK leaders.

The controversy centred around AMMK-backed MLA S. Kamaraj, who was reportedly projected as supporting TVK’s bid to form the government.

Dhinakaran alleged that forged support letters had been sent to the Governor through WhatsApp and claimed that Kamaraj had gone “missing” under suspicious circumstances.

Soon after the allegations surfaced, Kamaraj himself appeared before the media outside Raj Bhavan along with Dhinakaran and denied officially supporting TVK. He also alleged that his signature had been misused without his consent.

Dhinakaran subsequently filed a police complaint demanding an investigation and action against those responsible for the alleged forgery.

TVK, however, strongly denied the allegations and released a video purportedly showing Kamaraj voluntarily signing a letter extending support to the party.

The Vijay-led party accused Dhinakaran of spreading misinformation in an attempt to delay or derail the formation of a TVK government in the state.

Political observers believe that if the current deadlock continues and allegations of horse-trading intensify further, the Governor could send a report to the Centre citing an extraordinary constitutional situation in Tamil Nadu, potentially opening the door for President’s Rule.

With less than 48 hours remaining before the present government’s term expires, hectic negotiations, back-channel discussions and political manoeuvring continue across Chennai as the state waits for clarity on who will govern Tamil Nadu next.