Over 15 AIADMK MLAs moved to Puducherry resort as Tamil Nadu govt formation hangs

The AIADMK shifted over 15 MLAs to a Puducherry resort amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu. The move came amid poaching fears, hectic parleys by parties, including TVK, and a fluid numbers game around the 118-seat majority mark.

In Short

• AIADMK leader CV Shanmugam booked 20+ resort rooms till Thursday
• Move comes amid reports of some AIADMK MLAs open to backing Vijay's TVK
• TVK holding hectic parleys with DMK allies amid uncertainty over govt formation

Resort politics gripped Tamil Nadu, with over 15 AIADMK MLAs being shifted to a prominent resort in neighbouring Puducherry on Wednesday amid fears of poaching as uncertainty over government formation continues.

Sources said senior AIADMK leader CV Shanmugam, a Rajya Sabha MP and an aide of party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, has booked more than 20 rooms at The Shore Trishvam, with arrangements currently in place till Thursday. Several MLAs have already reached Puducherry, while others are on their way as the party looks to keep its flock together during crucial negotiations.

More rooms may be booked in the coming days as the government formation scenario unfolds.

The development came amid reports of internal churn within the AIADMK, with a section of MLAs said to be open to backing Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats, but remains short of the 118-mark needed to form the government.

Adding to the intrigue, the DMK is learnt to have opened backchannel talks with its long-time rival AIADMK, an unusual development in Tamil Nadu politics. While AIADMK sources confirmed discussions, there is no clarity yet on any potential alliance. The numbers remain tight, with DMK holding 59 seats and AIADMK 47, making any tie-up significant.

Earlier in the day, Vijay met Governor Rajendra Arlekar to stake claim, but was asked to return with proof of support from 118 MLAs. Sources said he currently has backing from 112 legislators, including support from the Congress (which has five MLAs), but still fell short of numbers. The TVK later put talks with AIADMK on hold after sealing its alliance with Congress, but hectic parleys continue with other parties.

Smaller parties like the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), an ally of the DMK, remain crucial, but the party has cancelled its scheduled meeting on Thursday, adding to the uncertainty. The Left parties – also allies of the DMK – will take a call on Friday on whether they will back the TVK for government formation.

Meanwhile, TVK has also moved its own MLAs to resorts in Mamallapuram to keep them together, underlining the high-stakes nature of the political tussle.

With MLAs being herded into resorts, backchannel talks underway and numbers still fluid, Tamil Nadu’s government formation remains wide open, with all sides scrambling to secure the magic figure.

- Ends