Who is Rajendra Arlekar, Tamil Nadu governor in spotlight amid Vijay govt formation drama?

As the high-voltage political drama unfolds in Tamil Nadu, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is in the spotlight.

The development comes as the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) of actor-politician Vijay, which got 108 seats in the Assembly in the recent polls, has not been invited to form the government by Rajendra.

The TVK fell short of the halfway majority mark in the 236-member Assembly, which is 118 seats. The DMK has 59 seats, while the AIADMK has 47 seats. Though the Congress has aligned with the TVK, they still do not have enough seats to form the government.

But who is Arlekar? What do we know about him?

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Let’s take a closer look.

Who is he?

Arlekar is currently the Governor of both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He is the 23rd Governor of Kerala (succeeding Arif Mohammad Khan) and the 27th Governor of Tamil Nadu (succeeding RN Ravi). Arlekar was born on April 23, 1954, in Goa’s Panaji to Vishwanath Arlekar and Tilomattama Arlekar. At the time, Goa was still under Portuguese rule.

He did his schooling at the St Joseph’s Institute in Vasco da Gama. He then did a degree in Commerce at Vasco da Gama’s MES College. Arlekar, during his childhood, began an association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). As per NDTV, Arlekar would later reminisce about how the organisation in those days felt like an extended family. The RSS at the time would hold small meetings and its workers would travel great lengths to organise gatherings. They were essentially building the party from the ground up.

Then, the Emergency hit. Arlekar and his father were both jailed by the then Indira Gandhi government. The time spent behind bars in defence of democracy shaped Arlekar’s views. In 1989, Arlekar became an active member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). At the time, the state was dominated by the Congress.

As per NDTV, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) was among the regional parties that had a strong local presence. It was Arlekar and his fellow BJP workers, including Manohar Parrikar, Shripad Naik and Laxmikant Parsekar, who turned the party’s fortunes around in Goa. Arlekar has held several posts within the BJP, including the party’s state general secretary, South Goa BJP president and BJP Goa president.

Tamil Nadu governor Rajendra Arlekar with DMK chief MK Stalin. PTI

Senior Goa journalist Vithaldas Hegde told the outlet Arlekar was "soft-spoken with sharp political acumen." Hegde added that he was considered by the BJP for the Chief Minister’s post twice and that he "held great regard for journalists." According to The Times of India, Arlekar is known for his fierce commitment to the RSS’s ideology.

Arlekar became a member of the Goa Legislative Assembly in 2002. He held the post, from the Vasco constituency, till 2007. During his tenure, Arlekar focused on social issues, development and the environment. Arlekar served as Goa Assembly Speaker from 2012 to 2017. During his tenure as Speaker, Goa became the first Assembly to adopt a paperless system, a feat for which he received much praise. Arlekar also served as the Minister for Forest & Environment and Panchayati Raj in Goa.

In July 2021, Arlekar was appointed as the 21st Governor of Himachal Pradesh. He held the position till 2023. In February 2023, he took over as the 30th Governor of Bihar. He is married to Anagha Arlekar. They have two children: daughter Aditi Kulkarni and Amogh Arlekar.

Arlekar in spotlight

The events in Tamil Nadu, where no party has reached a governing majority of its own, have put Arlekar in the spotlight. Vijay, who met Arlekar twice in two days, has submitted a letter staking his claim to form the Tamil Nadu government as his TVK is the single-largest party. However, Arlekar has refused to invite Vijay to be sworn in as Chief Minister before proving his majority.

This has led to a number of high-profile leaders in Tamil Nadu, including Kamal Haasan, slamming Arlekar. Haasan, taking to social media, accused him of "disrespecting the mandate".

"My brother, Mr MK Stalin, has announced, 'We respect the people's verdict; we will function as a responsible opposition.' I respect his political maturity. Those currently in constitutional positions must now fulfil the same duty. This is not a demand, but a reminder of their constitutional obligation," he wrote on X. "The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, led by Mr Vijay, has won 108 seats. Not inviting him to form the government would amount to disrespecting the mandate of the people of Tamil Nadu. 233 elected members are still unable to take their oaths. This is an insult to the state; it is damage to democracy," Haasan, who heads the Makkal Needhi Maiam, posted in Tamil, adding the verdict of the people "must be respected".

Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar with Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi. PTI

As per NDTV, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan has slammed Arlekar’s demand as "not acceptable". "Vijay can prove numbers in the state Assembly," he added.

DMK leader A Saravanan also sided with Vijay.

"If there are no pre-poll alliances that have garnered the majority, then he should go with the single-largest party... And, if there are going to be any post-poll alliances, then that also will come in fourth place. Now, in the state of Tamil Nadu, no pre-poll alliance has the majority. Nobody else has staked a claim to form the government. But the single-largest party, Mr Vijay’s TVK, has staked a claim to form the government and met the Governor. And they have given the support of 113 MLAs," he said.

M Veerapandian, the Communist Party of India’s (CPI) Tamil Nadu State Secretary, also chimed in, "In the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election held on April 23 in Tamil Nadu, voters did not deliver a clear mandate enabling any single party to independently form the government. However, the electorate has given Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam 108 seats, making it the single-largest party in the Assembly. Based on this, TVK leader Vijay has met the Governor and staked a claim to form the government. It is not appropriate for the Governor to insist that TVK prove its majority before the swearing-in ceremony. As the single-largest party, TVK must be given an opportunity by the Governor, in accordance with the Constitution, to prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly."

However, the BJP remains unmoved.

"It's a fractured verdict, and we all know that TVK did not have a majority, and they have to prove it. If he (Vijay) proves that he has a majority, the Governor will accept it... Whatever is constitutionally applicable will happen," BJP’s Narayanan Thirupathy told the news agency PTI.

FAQs

1. Who is Rajendra Arlekar?

Rajendra Arlekar is a senior BJP leader and currently serves as the Governor of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, with prior roles including Governor of Bihar and Himachal Pradesh.

2. Why is Rajendra Arlekar in the spotlight?

He is under scrutiny for not inviting TVK leader Vijay to form the government despite the party being the single-largest in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

3. What is the controversy in Tamil Nadu government formation?

No party has a clear majority, and debates have arisen over whether the Governor should invite the single-largest party or require proof of majority first.

With inputs from agencies