Vijay Wins Trust Vote With 144 MLAs, TVK Secures Majority In Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday won the confidence vote in the Assembly with the support of 144 MLAs, securing his government’s majority and bringing an end to days of political uncertainty following the state election.

The floor test was the first legislative challenge for Vijay after he took oath as chief minister on 10 May. Although TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the Assembly, it fell short of the majority mark on its own, making support from smaller parties and dissident legislators critical to the government’s survival.

The government crossed the required mark with backing from Congress, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, VCK and AMMK legislators, along with a rebel faction within the AIADMK led by senior leader SP Velumani. The split within the AIADMK became visible during the proceedings, despite party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami directing all party MLAs to vote against the motion.

TVK’s effective tally in the House stood at 105 after Vijay vacated one of the two Assembly seats he had won in the election, while Speaker JCD Prabhakar did not participate in the vote. The government needed 118 votes to prove its majority.

The DMK staged a walkout during the trust vote, criticising smaller parties for supporting the government. Opposition leaders argued that several parties had backed TVK to avoid the possibility of President’s Rule in the state.

Addressing the Assembly after the vote, Vijay said his administration would continue existing welfare measures and function as a secular government. He also said his government would not engage in political “horse-trading” while seeking legislative support.