Vijay successfully proved his majority in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, May 13, just three days after taking oath as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
The trust vote marked Vijay’s third major political victory in recent days. First, his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as the single-largest party in the Assembly elections. Then, he secured support from smaller allies to form the government. Now, he has comfortably won the floor test.
Vijay secured 144 votes in the Assembly, far above the majority mark required to stay in power.
The actor-turned-politician, who struggled last week to gather enough support for government formation, now appears politically stronger after the successful trust vote.
However, the Assembly proceedings witnessed high drama, heated arguments, factional clashes and a walkout during the confidence motion.
AIADMK Split Creates Chaos During Trust Vote
The biggest surprise during the floor test came from divisions inside All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Support from smaller parties including CPI, CPI(M), VCK, IUML and AMMK was already expected. However, a rebel faction within AIADMK significantly strengthened Vijay’s position.
Senior AIADMK leaders C V Shanmugam and SP Velumani announced on Tuesday that their group would support Vijay’s government, claiming they respected the people’s mandate.
The rebel faction also accused another AIADMK camp, led by party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, of trying to align with the DMK to form the government.
The split triggered chaos inside the Assembly during the trust vote.
While EPS declared that all 47 AIADMK MLAs would oppose Vijay’s government, rebel MLAs voted in favour of the new Chief Minister.
The rebel bloc had earlier claimed support from around 30 MLAs. However, Vijay eventually received backing from 25 AIADMK legislators due to split voting within the party.
DMK Walks Out During Floor Test
The trust vote also saw a walkout by the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). DMK leader and MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin criticised the rebel AIADMK faction for supporting Vijay. He said the same MLAs who contested elections under the NDA alliance alongside the BJP were now backing TVK.
Stalin also criticised Vijay for not visiting his Trichy (East) constituency after the elections to thank voters.
He argued that nearly 65 percent of Tamil Nadu voters did not support TVK.
“We are walking out of the Assembly. Once we walk out, you will get the majority. I request you not to politicise the welfare schemes introduced by our government,” Stalin said.
Following his remarks, DMK MLAs walked out of the Assembly during the floor test.
Opposition Targets Vijay Over Astrologer Appointment
Vijay also faced criticism over the appointment of astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vetrivel as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Chief Minister.
The issue sparked opposition not only from rival parties but also from some alliance partners.
Leaders from Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi (MJK) and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) questioned why Vetrivel received an official government role.
They argued that Vijay could have appointed him as a personal adviser instead of giving him a formal administrative position.
“Do not include astrology formulas in the government, mainly if they believe personally its upto them, no issue, but it should not come in government. We are not supporting TVK in the floor test,” said MJK President Thamimun Ansari.
Soon after winning the trust vote, Vijay’s government reportedly revoked Vetrivel’s appointment.
Vijay Promises Secular and Inclusive Government
After securing the confidence of the Assembly, Vijay thanked all supporting MLAs and promised to run an inclusive government.
He said his administration would remain secular and would not engage in political horse trading.
Vijay also stated that his government would work with “the speed of the horse” instead of depending on political bargaining.
During his speech, he described his administration as a “government of the common people” committed to “social justice, equal opportunity, and secularism.”
"There will be no discrimination between those who voted and those who didn't. This is a government for everyone. This is a government for the common people. This is a government that transcends caste and religious boundaries. This is a government that doesn't show discrimination. This is a government that protects culture. This is a sophisticated government. It's a government that won't hurt anyone or anything for political reasons. They will understand all this in time. Therefore, rather than jumping up to reply, it's a government that acts with courage and succeeds in everything," Vijay said.