Vijay stamps authority with emphatic trust vote win

Actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday comfortably won a trust vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, formally consolidating the rise of his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party and marking a dramatic reshaping of the state’s political landscape beyond the traditional DMK-AIADMK binary.

The TVK government secured 144 votes in the Assembly during the floor test, far exceeding the coalition’s official strength of 120 MLAs, after a section of AIADMK legislators appeared to defy the party whip and back the new administration. Twenty-two MLAs voted against the motion, while five abstained. The DMK staged a walkout before voting, reducing the effective strength of the House.

The outcome not only strengthened Vijay’s fledgling government but also triggered fresh turmoil within the opposition AIADMK, where rival factions publicly clashed over support extended to the TVK administration.

In his first major Assembly address after winning the trust vote, Vijay sought to project his government as a people-centric administration rooted in “social justice, equal opportunity and secularism.”

Calling TVK a “government of the common people,” Vijay said the party’s rise from launch to power within three years reflected a massive political shift in Tamil Nadu.

“The whistle wave turned into a victory wave,” he declared, referring to the party’s election symbol and campaign slogan.

Vijay highlighted that TVK had secured 34.92 per cent vote share — amounting to more than 17.2 million votes — despite contesting independently without a major alliance. He compared the moment to the landmark electoral shifts of 1967 and 1977 that transformed Tamil Nadu politics.

He also directly addressed criticism that his administration was effectively a minority government after narrowly missing an outright majority.

“If anyone calls this a minority government, we are happy with that too,” Vijay said, adding that his government would ensure protection and representation for minorities, women, youth, workers and government employees.

The chief minister invoked leaders including Periyar, Kamarajar, B.R. Ambedkar, Velunachiyar and Anjalai Ammal as ideological guides for the government, while promising there would be “no discrimination” between those who voted for TVK and those who did not.

The emphatic trust vote victory, however, immediately drew allegations of political inducements from the opposition DMK.

Senior DMK leader and MLA SS Sivasankar accused Vijay of engaging in “horse trading” to secure the support of AIADMK legislators.

“During the election campaign, he spoke about giving a clean government. This action tarnishes his image,” Sivasankar told reporters after the floor test, alleging that several AIADMK MLAs had switched sides despite party instructions to oppose the government.

The DMK had staged a walkout during the voting. Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin took a swipe at the TVK government, telling Vijay to “govern well” with the majority secured after the opposition’s exit from the House.

The floor test also exposed deepening divisions within the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami had earlier directed all 47 party MLAs to vote against the trust motion. However, senior leaders including SP Velumani publicly backed the resolution, arguing that the party should respect the people’s mandate.

Palaniswami later accused dissident MLAs of betraying party discipline and claimed they had been lured with promises of ministerial posts and board appointments.

“Their desire to become ministers has led them to act against the party leadership’s directives,” he said at a press conference, warning that notices could be issued under anti-defection provisions.

The rebellion has now intensified an ongoing power struggle within the AIADMK, with leaders from the rival faction reportedly planning to move a resolution seeking Palaniswami’s resignation as party chief.

The trust vote victory capped a remarkable political ascent for Vijay, whose TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections — ending decades of dominance by the DMK and AIADMK.

The government received support from Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK, IUML and independent-backed legislators during the floor test.

For now, Vijay appears to have secured not just the confidence of the Assembly, but also the momentum to position TVK as Tamil Nadu’s new political centre of gravity.