Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has successfully passed a crucial trust vote in the state Assembly, backed by 144 MLAs. Smaller parties like IUML, VCK, CPI, CPI(M), and Congress showed support to Vijay, taking the tally to 117, the mark needed to prove majority.
An internal AIADMK rift was exposed in the Assembly, with AIADMK chief Edapaddi Palaniswami opposing the confidence vote. However, rival faction leader SP Velumani's pledge of support to Vijay proved him wrong, as 21 AIADMK MLAs backed the actor-turned-politician.
Vijay's floor test victory comes as a significant development, as the party had stopped short of the 118 majority mark in the Tamil Nadu elections. The actor-turned-politician took oath as Chief Minister on May 10 and was required to prove majority in the Assembly.
With Vijay's government now secured, he has promised to continue previous welfare schemes and function with transparency. The DMK staged a walkout during the trust vote, with Leader of Opposition Udhyanidhi Stalin criticizing TVK's backing, saying it was due to fear of President's rule in the state.
