Vijay Set For Floor Test In Tamil Nadu Assembly: All In The Number Game

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay will test his government's strength on the floor of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly today, marking his first trust vote since assuming office. While the numbers appear to favour the newly sworn-in leader, the path to the vote has been shaped by shifting alliances, political manoeuvring, a court order, and a very public revolt within the opposition AIADMK.

Numbers Stack Up in Favour of Ruling Coalition

Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won 108 seats in the 2026 Assembly election, emerging as the single largest party but falling 10 short of the 118-majority mark in the 234-member House. That shortfall effectively rose to 11 after Vijay won from two constituencies and decided to vacate one.

Since then, the actor-turned-chief minister has secured backing from the Congress (5), the Indian Union Muslim League (2), the Communist Party of India (2), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (2), and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (2). That takes the ruling coalition's total to 120.

One TVK legislator has been temporarily barred from participating in Assembly proceedings, including the trust vote. Even with that restriction, the coalition's effective strength stands at 119, still one above the majority mark.

VCK Pledges Support to Prevent President's Rule

VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan confirmed that his party's two MLAs will vote in favour of Vijay, describing the decision as a move to keep the state away from central intervention.

"Our party, VCK has decided to form this secular government in Tamil Nadu under his leadership," Thirumavalavan said. He also noted that Vijay visited former chief minister MK Stalin's residence, calling it "a new culture he formulated." He added, "We welcome this kind of attitude of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Our party members will vote for him in this confidence motion."

Vijay spent Tuesday shuttling between meetings with alliance partners and even political rivals. He met Congress leaders at the party's state headquarters in Chennai, called on Thirumavalavan at his residence, and held discussions with IUML leaders.

Rebel AIADMK Lawmakers Throw Support Behind Government

In other political development, Vijay also met rebel AIADMK leaders CV Shanmugam and SP Velumani. The AIADMK, which won 47 seats in the recent elections, is now grappling with an internal rift.

A faction of around 30 AIADMK MLAs led by Shanmugam and Velumani has announced its support for the TVK government, openly defying party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami. The rebels have accused Palaniswami of exploring support from the DMK to form an alternative government - an allegation rejected by both the AIADMK leadership and the DMK.

Shanmugam defended the rebellion, arguing that the party must accept political reality after its poor electoral performance. He said the AIADMK should back Vijay to restore what he called "Amma rule," a reference to the late former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

Meanwhile, the official AIADMK leadership has issued a whip directing all 47 party MLAs to vote against the confidence motion. Senior leader Agri SS Krishnamurthy warned that any cross-voting would trigger action under the anti-defection law.

Court Order Removes One TVK MLA From Trust Vote

The government's arithmetic suffered a fresh complication after the Madras High Court restrained TVK MLA R Seenivasa Sethupathy from participating in the floor test. Sethupathy won the Tiruppattur seat by a single vote, and his election was challenged by DMK's KR Periakaruppan over allegations of vote-counting irregularities.

The interim order reduces the TVK-led coalition's effective tally from 120 to 119 - still sufficient for a majority. The matter has reached the Supreme Court, which is expected to hear Sethupathy's challenge on Wednesday.

AMMK Expels MLA Over Support Letter Controversy

Adding to the pre-vote drama, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) chief TTV Dhinakaran accused the TVK of using a forged support letter and an AI-generated video to falsely claim that his party's lone MLA, Kamaraj, was backing the government.

The TVK denied the charge and released footage that it said showed the MLA signing the letter. Kamaraj has since been expelled from the AMMK.

What to Watch For

Vijay enters the Assembly today with a narrow but workable majority. With declared support from 120 MLAs and an active tally of 119 after the court's order, he appears positioned to clear the trust vote. However, unexpected abstentions or last-minute legal developments could still reshape the outcome before the final count.