Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called on Tamil Nadu’s governor to allow TVK leader Vijay an opportunity to prove his majority in the assembly. Abdullah made these remarks on Friday amid ongoing political tension in Tamil Nadu.
On Thursday, Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar denied Vijay the claim to form the government, citing that TVK lacks the necessary numbers to secure a simple majority. Despite the Congress party’s support of five MLAs to TVK, Vijay’s party still needs to reach the required 118 seats in the 234-member assembly.
Abdullah emphasized that imposing President’s rule lacks justification, particularly in light of various Supreme Court rulings that underscore the importance of inviting the single largest party after elections to form a government. He stated, “If we see the Supreme Court judgement, then there should be no President’s rule.”
He referenced past instances, including former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee‘s brief government formation, to establish that invitations to form governments should prevail, allowing leaders to demonstrate their majority. “The President of India invited him, there was a government for 13 days, but when Vajpayee did not have the numbers, he resigned,” he recounted.
Abdullah articulated that the Tamil Nadu Lok Bhavan has no grounds to halt Vijay’s intention to govern. He urged, “Vijay should be allowed to form the government, and then he should be provided an opportunity to prove his majority. If he proves, he will remain, but if not, he will have to resign.”
