Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 7 : Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar on Thursday said that actor-turned-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, which has emerged as the single-largest party in assembly polls, should be invited to form the government in the state.
In a post on X, Chodankar reminded Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar of the decision taken in 2018 by the then Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vela to invite the single-largest party to form the government and prove the majority in the House within fifteen days.
"Honourable Governor Shri Rajendra Arlekar Bab, please go through this letter issued by the Governor of Karnataka in 2018, where the single largest party was invited to form the government and asked to prove its majority on the floor of the House, as mandated by the Constitution. The Governor did not arrogate to himself the power to decide numbers inside Raj Bhavan," Chodankar said in a post on X.
The Congress leader said that the Legislative Assembly alone is the constitutional forum to test majority.
"Democracy cannot be replaced by personal discretion or ideological bias. You may come from an RSS background, but as Governor you are duty-bound to rise above political ideology and uphold the Constitution of India," he said.
Chodankar said any attempt to undermine the Gen Z mandate and democratic conventions will be strongly opposed by the people of Tamil Nadu.
He said the letter was issued by Vajubhai Vela to the BJP and said democratic principles should not be changed.
"@narendramodi ji and @AmitShah ji, please do not change constitutional conventions and democratic principles each time as per political convenience. This very letter was issued by another RSS-backed Governor in Karnataka to the BJP itself. Honourable Rajendra Bab, once again, being a Goan, do not spoil the name of Goans. Goans are known across India as law-abiding citizens who respect democracy and always uphold the Constitution of India, the Congress leader said.
Chodankar had earlier accused the Governor of "bowing to the BJP rather than the Constitution," alleging pressure from the ruling party at the Centre and questioning the Governor's constitutional neutrality.
"The Governor is bowing before the BJP rather than before the Constitution and the people of Tamil Nadu," he had said earlier, asserting that the Governor has "no option" but to invite the party to form the government and allow it to prove majority on the floor of the House.
He had also warned of public backlash if democratic norms were bypassed.
"There will be a big revolt if the Governor tries to impose rule through backdoor means," he said.
TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats, but was unable to cross the majority mark of 118 seats in the 234-member assembly.
Vijay will vacate one of the two seats he won in the Assembly polls. TVK stunned the 'Dravidian' parties in the state, bringing to an end the DMK-AIADMK's three-decade-old 'duopoly'.