CHENNAI, May 13: The four-day-old Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government in Tamil Nadu led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay survived a major trust vote on Wednesday, securing 144 votes in favour and 22 against in the state assembly. The vote followed a dramatic political day marked by a DMK walkout and a deep split within the AIADMK, whose internal factions voted in opposite directions.
During the floor test, 25 AIADMK rebel MLAs backed the TVK government, while 22 MLAs loyal to party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami voted against it.
Another faction led by C V Shanmugam and S P Velumani supported TVK, exposing a significant divide within the opposition party. The main opposition DMK, led by Udhayanidhi Stalin, walked out of the House along with the PMK and the lone BJP member abstaining.
Despite the walkout, the TVK comfortably crossed the majority mark with support from Congress, VCK, Left parties, IUML, and independent MLA S Kamaraj.
Chief Minister Vijay moved the confidence motion shortly after the House convened, and the vote was conducted through a division-wise count.
Speaker JCD Prabhakar later declared that the resolution had passed with 144 votes in favour, 22 against, and five neutral.
The victory effectively secured the fledgling government’s stability, with another trust vote barred for six months.
The win also highlighted shifting political alliances in Tamil Nadu. Vijay’s party, which holds 105 MLAs after accounting for resignations and voting restrictions, benefited from cross-party support that pushed it beyond the majority threshold.
Observers noted that the outcome stabilised the new government after early doubts over its legislative strength.
The trust vote debate saw sharp exchanges. Udhayanidhi Stalin argued that a majority of voters had rejected TVK and questioned the government’s legitimacy, accusing it of lacking a clear mandate and depending on “borrowed” MLAs. He also criticised alleged political realignments, suggesting instability within the ruling structure.
In response, Chief Minister Vijay defended his government, asserting that TVK had secured 1.72 crore votes and emerged as the single largest party despite being formed only three years earlier.
He rejected claims of illegitimacy, stating that democratic coalitions were normal and pointing to historical precedents involving coalition governments in the state.
He also emphasised that his government would be inclusive, secular, and focused on welfare policies.
Vijay further dismissed allegations of horse-trading, describing his government as working at “horse-speed, not horse-trading.”
He reiterated his commitment to governance for all citizens and said his administration would not discriminate between supporters and opponents.
Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami accused breakaway AIADMK MLAs of betraying the party in exchange for cabinet positions, while Shanmugam defended his faction’s support for TVK, saying both groups opposed DMK policies and shared ideological alignment. He denied any deal for ministerial posts.
The trust vote outcome marks a significant early political milestone for the TVK government, strengthening Vijay’s position while exposing deep fractures in opposition ranks.(PTI)
