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Tamil Nadu CM Joseph Vijay passes Assembly floor test with 144 votes
During the elections, the Tamil superstar, who set up his party two years ago, took on two giants of the state —DMK and AIADMK— and managed to win 108 of the 234 seats in the assembly
- PUBLISHED: Wed 13 May 2026, 7:43 PM
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government led by C. Joseph Vijay won the floor test in the state assembly on Wednesday, with 144 legislators voting in favour, and a mere 22 opposing the confidence motion.
The 59 DMK legislators, led by leader of the opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin, walked out of the assembly during the proceedings, while 24 AIADMK MLAs voted for Vijay.
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The Tamil superstar, who set up his party a mere two years ago, took on the two giants of the state, the DMK and the AIADMK and managed to win 108 of the 234 seats in the assembly, sidelining them.
The Congress, which has been a partner of the DMK for long, took a U-turn and endorsed the TVK with its five legislators, while the AIADMK, some of whose leaders were toying with the idea of joining hands with the DMK, finally saw a division in the party. Two dozen of its legislators walked out and backed Vijay.
Interestingly, in a state where chief ministers and leaders of most political parties adorn the traditional attire, a white shirt and a veshti (the traditional garment in Tamil Nadu, which the men wear around their waist), Vijay took his oath in a black suit, bringing about a remarkable change in the political culture of the state.
The actor-turned-chief minister also broke other traditions.
A day after being sworn-in, he surprised his predecessor, M.K. Stalin, the DMK president, by meeting him and his son, the leader of the opposition, Udhayanidhi Stalin, at his home. Later, he also visited the homes of Vaiko, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader; Seeman, the Naam Tamilar Katchi founder; and Anbumani Ramadoss, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader.
Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the AIADMK general secretary, accused the new government of luring some of his legislators by promising them ministerial posts and board appointments.
“Their desire to become ministers has led them to act against the party leadership’s directives,” he told the media. “Something unprecedented in the history of Tamil Nadu is happening now. It is disappointing that such developments are taking place within the party right at the very beginning.”
C. V. Shanmugam, one of the top rebels, however, told reporters that Palaniswami was lying about 47 MLAs backing the resolution not to support the TVK. “No such meeting on a resolution took place,” he said. “The letter given by Palaniswami to the Speaker was forged.”
