Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026 | 'No need for Governor': DMK's Kanimozhi amid uncertainity over govt formation

Amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate, Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor.

Kanimozhi said that her party's stance on the governor’s post has remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.

"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she told news agency PTI.

Track latest updates on govt formation in Tamil Nadu here.

When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.

She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.

Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.

"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.

The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.

She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.

She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".

"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.

The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.

The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.

The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.

(With PTI inputs)