Tamil Nadu Government Floor Test LIVE Updates: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s (TVK) Vijay hopes to comfortably pass the confidence vote in the state Assembly, with the support of the IUML, Congress, VCK, CPI, CPI(M) and 30 AIADMK MLAs.
The floor test is being held a day after Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay held back-to-back meetings with allies, rivals AIADMK and DMK and bitter critic NTK founder Seeman on Monday and Tuesday. The IUML, VCK and Congress supported him in his bid to form his maiden government in the state.
In an unwelcome birthday gift for AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, the party seemed headed for a split as about 30 MLAs announced support for the Vijay-led government. The MLAs, led by senior leaders SP Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam, accused Palaniswami of seeking an alliance with DMK and questioned his leadership after the party’s performance in the Assembly polls. They also voiced support for the TVK government.
Adding to the twist, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan claimed that both the DMK and AIADMK approached him to become the Tamil Nadu chief minister to head a possible alliance the Dravidian archrivals could have forged to keep the TVK away from power. He added that he had rejected the proposal.
On his second day as Chief Minister, Vijay announced the closure of more than 700 TASMAC liquor outlets in the state, all situated within 500 metres of temples, school, and bus stands. He faced criticism for appointing his astrologer Radhan Pandit Vettrivel the Officer on Special Duty the Chief Minister. The astrologer is the one who had predicted that Vijay would have a landslide victory.