Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is facing a trust vote in the assembly on Wednesday, May 13, amidst signs of strain in his government. A controversial appointment of astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel as Officer on Special Duty (Political) has sparked a row among coalition partners.
The appointment has been met with criticism from within Vijay's own coalition, with Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil questioning the need for an astrologer to hold an OSD position. VCK General Secretary D Ravikumar has termed the appointment 'unacceptable in a secular government.'
However, Vijay may have found a lifeline in the opposition benches. The AIADMK, which had a bruising election, is facing an internal crisis after senior leaders SP Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam broke with party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami. Shanmugam has claimed that around 30 AIADMK MLAs now back Vijay's government.
Vijay visited Shanmugam's residence on Tuesday, where some from the rebel faction formally extended their support. The EPS camp has termed the rebels 'liars' and accused them of chasing ministerial posts in the TVK cabinet.
