Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Wins Floor Test with 144 Votes; AIADMK Splits
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, leader of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), secured a decisive victory in the trust vote held in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. The motion of confidence was passed with 144 votes in favour, against 22 opposing votes, with four abstentions. The outcome marks the first major test for the TVK-led government, which was formed with the support of the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) led by the DMK, along with CPI, CPI(M), VCK, IUML, 25 rebel AIADMK MLAs, and one expelled AMMK MLA.
Prior to the voting, Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin led a walkout of all DMK MLAs and the lone DMDK MLA, Premallatha Vijayakant, after delivering a speech criticising the TVK government. The walkout reduced the number of votes in opposition but did not affect the outcome. The trust vote also exposed a deep rift within the AIADMK, as 25 MLAs led by S.P. Velumani voted in favour of the motion, while 22 MLAs loyal to party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami voted against. Four PMK MLAs and the lone BJP MLA abstained. Later, Palaniswami removed the rebel MLAs from party posts.
The Supreme Court earlier in the day dismissed a petition seeking an investigation into the conduct of the trust vote, allowing the proceedings to continue without judicial interference.
In other developments, the Tamil Nadu government revoked a controversial Government Order appointing astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel as Officer on Special Duty (Political) to the Chief Minister, following widespread criticism. The Madras High Court also stayed a police notice directing X Corp to remove 18 posts critical of TVK and CM Vijay, citing concerns over free speech. Additionally, the state recorded a 95.25% pass rate in CBSE Class 12 exams, a slight dip from the previous year's 98.48%. Meanwhile, the Madras High Court granted bail to YouTuber 'Savukku' Shankar in an attempt-to-murder case, with conditions including daily police reporting.
