The Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday made it clear that it will not take part in any attempt to form the next government in the state after the fractured verdict in the Assembly elections.
State BJP president Nainar Nagendran said the party fully accepted the mandate delivered by the people and acknowledged that voters had not given the BJP the numbers required to stake claim to power.
The BJP managed to win only one seat in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, while actor-politician Vijay-led TVK emerged as the single-largest party with 108 seats. The DMK secured 59 seats and the AIADMK won 47, leaving the state with a hung Assembly and intense political negotiations over government formation.
In a statement, Nagendran said the BJP respected the democratic verdict of the people of Tamil Nadu and would neither participate in nor support any political exercise aimed at forming a government in the current situation.
He also stated that the party would not vote in favour of any alliance or grouping attempting to form the next government in the state.
The announcement comes amid ongoing political uncertainty in Tamil Nadu, where TVK has been trying to gather support from smaller parties and allies to cross the majority mark of 118 seats. Governor R. N. Ravi has so far not invited any party to form the government, insisting that a stable majority must first be demonstrated.
The BJP’s decision to stay away from the numbers game is expected to further complicate the political arithmetic in the state as rival parties continue backchannel discussions over possible alliances and support arrangements.
