Tamil Nadu Government Formation Row Deepens as Dhinakaran Alleges Missing MLA and Horse-Trading

Chennai, May 2029 : Political uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu intensified on Friday after T. T. V. Dhinakaran met Acting Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and alleged that one of his party MLAs had gone missing amid attempts by political parties to secure a majority in the fractured Assembly.

The development comes at a time when actor-politician Vijay, president of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has been making aggressive efforts to form the next government after his party emerged as the single largest formation in the recently concluded Assembly elections.

TVK won 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly but fell short of the majority mark of 118 seats needed to form the government. Since the election results were declared, Vijay has been seeking support from various opposition parties and independent legislators to bridge the gap.

The TVK chief had already secured letters of support from the Indian National Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), with the two Left parties extending outside support to a possible TVK-led government.

Armed with the letters of support, Vijay met Governor Arlekar for the third time on Friday and reiterated his claim to form the government. However, the Governor once again refrained from inviting him to take oath, reportedly citing the absence of a clearly demonstrated majority on the floor of the House.

Amid the continuing political deadlock, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) chief Dhinakaran held a late-night meeting with the Governor and submitted a letter asserting that the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) alliance had the legitimate claim to form the government.

Speaking to reporters after meeting the Governor, Dhinakaran alleged that AMMK MLA Kamaraj had gone missing under suspicious circumstances and hinted at possible “horse-trading” by rival political camps trying to strengthen their numbers in the Assembly.

“Our MLA is missing. We suspect this could be a case of horse-trading. We have not been able to contact him even over the phone. I informed the Governor that the matter must be investigated immediately,” Dhinakaran said.

According to the AMMK leader, Kamaraj had been staying in Puducherry along with AIADMK legislators before his sudden disappearance.

Dhinakaran claimed that Kamaraj had met him at his residence on Thursday morning and informed him about his plans to travel to Puducherry to meet AIADMK MLAs. He said the legislator had appeared completely normal during the interaction.

“My assistant had gone to collect Kamaraj’s signature and he spoke normally at that time. Only after that did he disappear,” Dhinakaran stated.

The AMMK chief further accused TVK of attempting to engineer defections despite projecting itself as a party committed to transparent and ethical politics.

“People have given Vijay support in 108 constituencies. But that alone is not enough to form the government. Is it right to indulge in horse-trading from the very first day after claiming moral politics? We suspect TVK is behind this,” he alleged.

Dhinakaran also said the AMMK leadership would soon hold consultations with alliance partners before deciding its next political course of action.

The dramatic developments have added a fresh layer of uncertainty to Tamil Nadu’s already tense post-election political scenario, with all eyes now on the Governor’s next move regarding the formation of the new government.