Tamil Nadu chief minister Joseph Vijay on Wednesday won the crucial floor test in the state assembly, formally proving the majority of his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led post-poll coalition.
The confidence vote was held in the assembly following governor RV Arlekar’s directive asking the newly formed government to prove its majority on or before May 13.
In the final tally, Vijay’s administration secured the support of 144 legislators, while 22 voted against and five chose to abstain.
This outcome followed a walkout by the primary opposition, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, with its 59 MLAs, while the third-largest party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, chose to abstain with its 47 members.
“The whistle (the TVK’s election symbol) has changed history,” Vijay said after the result. “We will call ourselves a minority government… a government that will protect the rights of minorities.”
While the vote is now settled, the more significant development is the fragmentation within the AIADMK. Twenty-five AIADMK legislators backed Vijay and the TVK, openly defying party leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s directives and highlighting a deep internal rift that could potentially dismantle one of the state’s two major Dravidian powerhouses.
How Do The Numbers Stack Up
In the 234-member assembly, the TVK held 107 seats, following Chief Minister Vijay’s decision to vacate the Tiruchirappalli East constituency. To secure a working majority, the party was bolstered by the support of 13 additional MLAs from a coalition including the Congress, IUML, VCK, CPI, and CPM.
But, TVK MLA Srinivasa Sethupathi had been restrained by the Madras High Court from taking part in the floor test as an MLA. This has reduced one MLA who can help Vijay pass the floor test. However, AMMK MLA S Kamaraj had also extended his support to Vijay’s TVK, changing his stance from his earlier forgery allegations.
So, now Chief Minister Vijay’s TVK had 120 MLAs for the floor test.
TVK MLA barred
On the eve of the confidence vote, the Madras High Court issued an interim order barring TVK MLA Srinivasa Sethupathi from participating in the floor test.
The ruling follows a petition by DMK leader K.R. Periyakaruppan, who lost the Tiruppattur seat by a single vote. Periyakaruppan alleged significant counting irregularities, specifically claiming that a postal ballot in his favor was mistakenly diverted to another constituency and subsequently rejected. The court has now restrained Sethupathi from voting in any legislative proceeding that tests the House’s numerical strength until the matter is resolved. (Republic World)