New Delhi: Now that Vijay has secured the backing of more than half of Tamil Nadu’s legislators-elect, governor Rajendra Arlekar – who had controversially declined to invite the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief to form a new government until he could prove his majority – has appointed the actor-turned-politician as chief minister-designate.Vijay will take oath as chief minister at Chennai’s Nehru Stadium at 10 am on Sunday – six days after the TVK emerged as the single-largest party after the elections – and must seek a vote of confidence from the assembly by the coming Wednesday, Arlekar’s office said in a press release on Saturday (May 9).Earlier in the day, with suspense over Vijay’s claims to form a government reaching a crescendo, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) offered him the support of their four combined MLAs, enough to cross the majority mark needed to cement his disruptive ascent to power.VCK chief Thirumavalavan in the afternoon presented a letter offering the party’s support to Vijay and the TVK, boosting the fledgling outfit and its post-poll alliance to 119 seats in the 234-member assembly, just two seats over the majority mark of 118.Later, the IUML too offered the TVK the support of its two MLAs, taking the Vijay-led bloc’s tally to 121.Vijay now commands the support of a majority of legislators-elect – including the TVK’s tally of 108, plus five from the Congress and two each from the VCK, the IUML, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the CPI (Marxist).Lok Bhavan said on Saturday evening that Vijay informed Arlekar of his election as leader of the TVK’s legislature party as well as of the support he has received from the five aforementioned parties. He had approached the governor three times prior but was turned away for want of a majority, sparking controversy.The TVK had emerged as the single-largest party after the Tamil Nadu assembly elections with 108 seats – effectively 107 as Vijay won from two seats – falling short of an outright majority but displacing both of the state’s main Dravidian parties in a rare break from tradition.In two letters to Arlekar dated Saturday – one by Thirumavalavan and the other by the VCK’s legislature party leader Vanni Arasu – the party expressed its “unconditional support” to the TVK and asked that the governor consider their stance on record. VCK President Dr. Thol. Thirumavalavan and Legislature Party Leader Vanni Arasu submitted letters to the Governor of Tamil Nadu extending unconditional support to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam for the formation of the government in the state. pic.twitter.com/cHK6FxDmjJ— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 9, 2026Soon afterwards the IUML too offered its unconditional support, incidentally just a day after it took pains to clarify that it had not backed Vijay and was still part of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA).The IUML’s letter of support to the TVK.Aadhav Arjuna, a top leader in the TVK and a lieutenant of Vijay’s, thanked the VCK and Thirumavalavan for their support, for which he said “it is not we alone” but “even the future history of Tamil Nadu is indebted and must express its gratitude”.“I firmly declare that the political goals of the 35-year political journey of VCK leader and brother Thol. [Tholkappiyar, a Tamil title] Thirumavalavan – his dreams of social justice, his principles of equality – will be fulfilled in the rule of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam that is about to come to pass,” Arjuna added per a machine translation of his post.Although the Congress, the two Communist parties, the VCK and the IUML had fought the assembly elections as part of the SPA, they all joined the TVK after votes were counted. The grand old party was the first to pledge support to Vijay and was followed by the Communists, with the VCK and IUML holding out amid suspense until Saturday.Acknowledging Saturday’s developments, DMK leader and outgoing chief minister M.K. Stalin wrote that his alliance partners said they would remain part of the SPA “on ideological grounds” despite supporting the TVK, although he added that the Congress had “severed its ties with the DMK and departed within a single day” to back Vijay.