- Supreme Court will hear MLA voting ban challenge.
Tamil Nadu Vijay Floor Test: C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday successfully proved his majority on the floor of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, strengthening the position of the newly formed government led by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The trust vote witnessed support flowing in from alliance partners including the Indian National Congress, the Left parties, and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), all of whom had earlier backed Vijay when he staked claim to form the government before the Governor. However, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) decided to walk out of the Assembly.
In the run-up to the Tamil Nadu Assembly floor test, alliances shifted dramatically: Soumya Anbumani announced that the PMK would abstain from the test, while the BJP opted for neutrality, refusing to back either side. Adding to this, AMMK MLA Kamaraj openly declared support for Vijay in the Assembly, though his move led to his expulsion from the AMMK.
Numbers Game Favourable For TVK Alliance
Vijay’s TVK which initially fell short of the majority mark of 118, has now consolidated support to reach 144 votes in favor, against 22 opposition votes, with 5 abstentions.
Ahead of the floor test, TVK held 107 seats in the Assembly after Vijay resigned from the Tiruchirappalli East constituency upon assuming office as Chief Minister. The ruling camp also counted on the backing of 13 legislators belonging to Congress, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), VCK, Communist Party of India (CPI), and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM).
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AIADMK Cross-Voting Sparks Political Buzz
The confidence motion also turned into a politically significant moment for Edappadi K Palaniswami and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), after a section of the party’s MLAs reportedly voted in favour of Vijay’s government. The unexpected cross-voting has triggered speculation over possible cracks within the AIADMK ranks and may intensify internal discussions within the opposition camp in the coming days.
The proceedings began at 9:30 a.m., with legislators arriving steadily at the Assembly complex. In a first for Tamil Nadu politics, the entire floor test was broadcast live, drawing widespread public attention across the state.
Despite enjoying outside support, the government faced a setback after TVK MLA Srinivasa Sethupathi was barred from participating in the vote.
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Supreme Court Challenge Filed Over MLA Voting Ban
Srinivasa Sethupathi, who had won the Tirupattur constituency by a margin of just one vote, was restrained from taking part in the floor test following an order from the Madras High Court.
The ruling briefly raised concerns within the ruling alliance over the final numbers during the confidence motion.
Sethupathi has now moved the Supreme Court of India seeking an urgent hearing against the High Court directive. In his petition, he argued that preventing him from voting weakens the mandate granted by the electorate of Tirupattur.
