'TVK won a clear mandate, anything else is...': Zoho's Sridhar Vembu backs Vijay govt in Tamil Nadu

Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu on Thursday backed Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to form the government in Tamil Nadu, saying the party had received a "clear mandate" and warning that any alternative arrangement would go against the people's verdict.

"Let me state these clearly. I believe Vijay's TVK won a clear mandate and should form the government. Anything else is against the will of the people," Vembu wrote on X.

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Vijay met the Tamil Nadu Governor for the second time in 24 hours in an effort to stake claim to form the government with Congress support. However, the Governor asked him to submit signatures from 118 MLAs.

'Fresh polls will give TVK super majority'

Vembu argued that if the numbers in the Assembly did not work out, fresh elections would be preferable to political bargaining. "If the arithmetic in the assembly does not work, instead of endless horse trading, fresh polls are the best, and I believe TVK will win a super majority," he said. "So it is in the interest of other parties to avoid fresh polls because they are likely to lose seats to TVK."

In another post, Vembu said: "Respecting the mandate and letting Vijay form the government is the smartest move for DMK, AIADMK and other parties. If no solution is found and fresh polls arrive, Vijay will win a super-majority," he added.

'My political preferences are irrelevant'

Vembu said his comments should not be seen as political support for TVK. "I don't say all these as a TVK supporter. I say these as someone who loves Tamil Nadu and Bharat. My personal political preferences are irrelevant here," he wrote. "I remain a strong proud nationalist. It is the strength of our nation that a new party won so much support."

He also said Tamil Nadu deserved political stability and earlier suggested that President's Rule followed by fresh elections could be an option if no stable arrangement emerged. "The numbers don't seem to add up. Whatever government is cobbled together is likely to be unstable with various pulls and pressures. Tamil Nadu deserves better," he wrote in an earlier post.

Governor seeks proof of majority

The comments came amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly. Though Congress, which has five MLAs, extended support to TVK, the party remains short of the majority mark of 118.

Sources told India Today that the Governor asked Vijay to return with signatures from 118 MLAs before he could be invited to form the government.

On Wednesday, Vijay submitted the Congress support letter and formally staked claim to form the government.