"Congress's 5 seats would not save TVK...it's like helping ship sink faster": AIADMK's Kovai Sathyan

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 8 : AIADMK National Spokesperson Kovai Sathyan hit out at TVK over its claims of being the single largest party and criticised its alliance with Congress.

"TVK is the one that gave a confession, claiming that we are the single largest party with 108 seats, and we have the support of 5 more. So, the Governor is duty-bound to ask, 'Where are the other 5?" Sathyan said on Friday.

On the Congress alliance with TVK, he added, "118 seats are needed and adding Congress's 5 seats would not save TVK. Congress has put a hole in a ship, and it's like helping the ship sink faster."

TVK won 108 seats in the Assembly elections, while Congress won five, taking the tally of the newly brewing alliance to 112. The TVK-led potential coalition still falls five short of the majority mark of 118 in the 234-member Assembly.

According to sources, the Governor sought clarity on the "magic number" required for government formation and asked Vijay to furnish details of legislators backing TVK's claim to form the government in Tamil Nadu.

As Congress is now firm in TVK's corner, Arlekar's not callling Vijay to form the government has drawn fiery remarks and allegations from its leaders. Many have alleged that Arlekar is acting on the BJP's whims to stall the due procedure and undermine the Constitution.

TVK Joint General Secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar, accompanied by party leaders, met with the Communist Party of India leaders at the CPI office in Chennai on Thursday, to garner the support for making goverment in Tamil Nadu.

Speaking with the media, Nirmal Kumar said that the VCK and CPI will both hold internal meetings over extending support to TVK and will provide the answer afterwards.

Both CPI and VCK won two seats each in the elections.

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