Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government comfortably sailed through the floor test on Wednesday, May 13, with a faction of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) led by CVe Shanmugam also extending support to the newly formed government.
Chief Minister Vijay passed the floor test with 144 votes in favour. Twenty-two MLAs voted against him, and five abstained.
With Vijay’s resignation from Trichy East, the nomination of the Speaker, and the Madras High Court barring Tirupattur TVK MLA R Seenivasa Sethupathi from participating in Assembly proceedings, the TVK’s strength had reduced to 105. The government was supported by five Congress MLAs; two MLAs each from the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML); and 27 MLAs from the splinter group of the AIADMK.
Before the voting, 59 legislators from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) walked out of the Assembly, allowing the TVK government to pass the test.
Speaking in the House, Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin said the DMK would not stall the formation of the government, as directed by party chief MK Stalin. However, he launched a scathing attack on the TVK for allegedly engaging in “horse trading” and deceiving the trust of the people by aligning with a split faction of the AIADMK, which had contested under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Ahead of the floor test, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazagam (AMMK)’s lone MLA S Kamaraj extended support to the TVK government, leading to allegations of horse trading by the party’s chief TTV Dinakaran. As the MLA continued to support the ruling party, the AMMK chief removed him from the party. Vijay also faced criticism for meeting the breakaway AIADMK faction a day earlier, undermining his stand against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“You claimed that the BJP is your ideological opponent. But you have brought in a legislator who contested under the BJP-led NDA alliance, without even the knowledge of his party president. Party president TTV Dinakaran had said that even before forming the government, the TVK was engaging in horse trading,” Udhayanidhi said.
Udhayanidhi claimed that it was unprecedented for a leader to openly embrace the support of a split faction from another party before a floor test. He questioned how this aligned with the “clean governance” promised by the TVK before the elections.
“People are asking whether there has been a big ‘exchange’ behind this ‘change’,” he said, suggesting corruption. He added that the government had already begun losing the confidence of the people even before the floor test. “They are slowly losing the confidence of our allies too, who have extended their support to the government,” he said.
He also pointed out that the majority of voters had rejected the TVK. “In the recently concluded elections, approximately 4,93,25,000 people voted, and the ruling party received just 1,72,26,000 votes. This means that the remaining 3,21,00,000 people voted against you,” Udhayanidhi said, adding that public confidence in the government was steadily eroding.
Udhayanidhi also targeted Vijay’s maiden speech about being burdened with the responsibility of managing the state’s finances even before beginning the governance.
Premallatha Vijayakant, general secretary of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), did not extend support to the TVK government. She condemned the appointment of Vijay’s personal astrologer, Radhan Pandit Vettrivel, as the Chief Minister’s Officer on Special Duty (Political). She also accused the TVK of horse trading MLAs.
