3 min readHyderabadUpdated: May 7, 2026 09:40 PM IST
“The phones keep ringing all the time here,” says one of the new MLAs at the office of TVK, actor-turned-politician Vijay’s party, days after its successful Tamil Nadu Assembly poll debut.
The party won 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly.
Inside the party office in Panaiyur, on the outskirts of Chennai, the phones of the new MLAs have been ringing non-stop – mostly friends and well-wishers calling to congratulate them, but also to ask: “When will you form the government?”
“We are not in a position to tell anyone the swearing-in date. It is tough,” one of the MLAs said.
The TVK office is located close to Tamil Nadu’s IT corridor, and is not far from Mahabalipuram, where resorts are booked to house the MLAs temporarily. After spending the day at the party office, many of the MLAs head to the resorts. Most are first-time legislators.
“The party trusts its MLAs. They are sure that we will not defect. So, being at the resort is not mandatory,” an MLA said, as his voice trailed off to greet other legislators. “Vanakkam, is it okay if we go out for food?” he was heard asking.
At the office, which is a new building, not everything is in place. “There are just two big halls here. It is not a typical party office,” one of the MLAs said.
The TVK has deputed party workers at the office to ensure the MLAs are comfortable. “Many of us were ground-level workers of the party. Hence, we are disciplined on our own. We don’t ask for much,” an MLA said.
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The MLAs said there are plenty of water bottles at the office to beat the Chennai heat. “There is no food menu as such. But we are managing. It’s just for a day, right?” an MLA asked.
While the TVK shattered political expectations, the party fell short of the majority mark of 118. So far, the Congress has agreed to form an alliance with TVK, but the party has five seats.
“Everyone wants to know what is happening inside. But we are just sitting around, waiting for a call about when the oath-taking is,” an MLA said.
Despite speculation over whether the party will be able to stitch together an alliance, the mood in the TVK office remains confident. “We are not worried. We have worked a lot to win the elections. We are confident we will form the government,” an MLA said.
