C Joseph Vijay has been in office for only a few days, but his new government is already facing political pressure. A controversial appointment, criticism from alliance partners, and divisions inside the opposition AIADMK have quickly shaped the early days of the actor-turned-politician’s administration.

Vijay is scheduled to face a trust vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday, May 13. Although the disagreements have not yet reached a serious crisis, tensions have started surfacing within the ruling alliance.

Astrologer Appointment Triggers Controversy

The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday appointed astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel as Officer on Special Duty (Political) to the Chief Minister. The move immediately sparked debate across political circles.

Vettrivel also serves as a spokesperson for Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. He has reportedly practised astrology for nearly 40 years and is considered one of Vijay’s close advisers. Many party insiders believe Vettrivel played an important role during Vijay’s political journey. He had publicly predicted TVK’s victory even before the election results were announced. He was also among the first people to reach Vijay’s residence after the party secured a major victory on May 4.

Reports also suggested that Vettrivel influenced the timing of Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony. The event was originally planned for 3:45 pm on May 10 but was later shifted to 10 am after he reportedly recommended a more “auspicious” time. Neither Vijay nor TVK has publicly commented on the controversy so far.

Alliance Partners Criticise the Decision

The strongest criticism came from leaders within Vijay’s own alliance. Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil questioned the need for an astrologer to hold an official government position. VCK General Secretary D Ravikumar called the appointment “unacceptable in a secular government” and urged the Chief Minister to rethink the decision.

CPM central committee member Shanmugam P also criticised the appointment. He argued that appointing an astrologer as a political adviser using public funds would encourage superstition and go against the Constitution’s emphasis on scientific temper.

Later in the day, Vijay continued his outreach efforts and met leaders from the IUML, VCK and Congress. The controversy has gained more attention because parties like the DMK have traditionally opposed superstition and promoted rationalist politics in Tamil Nadu.

Vijay Government Depends on Alliance Support

TVK won 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly. The party fell short of the 118 seats required for a majority. Vijay formed the government with support from the Indian National Congress, VCK, CPI, CPM and IUML.

This means maintaining alliance unity remains critical for the survival of the new government.

AIADMK Rebellion Gives Vijay Possible Support

While Vijay deals with friction inside his alliance, he may also gain unexpected support from sections of the opposition. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam suffered a major setback in the election. The party won only 47 out of the 164 seats it contested and finished behind both TVK and DMK.

The defeat has now triggered internal divisions inside AIADMK. Senior leaders SP Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam openly criticised party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami. They accused him of being willing to support a DMK-AIADMK arrangement to stop TVK from forming the government. According to them, such a move would have betrayed the party’s principles.

Shanmugam claimed that nearly 30 AIADMK MLAs now support Vijay’s government. On Tuesday, Vijay visited Shanmugam’s residence in Chennai, where members of the rebel faction reportedly extended support to the new Chief Minister.

Shanmugam described the development as a chance to give the party “a new life” while invoking the legacy of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

EPS Camp Rejects Rebel Claims

The AIADMK leadership under EPS strongly rejected the claims made by the rebel leaders. The party officially described the rebels as “liars” and accused them of seeking ministerial positions in the TVK government. The EPS faction also insisted that most AIADMK workers and MLAs continued to support the party leadership.

However, the rebel MLAs could face legal trouble under the anti-defection law if they vote against the official party whip during the trust vote.