TN CM Vijay wins trust vote 144-22 amid AIADMK split, DMK walkout
Synopsis
Tamil Nadu CM C. Joseph Vijay survived his first floor test with 144 votes, but the real story is the AIADMK fracture — rebel MLAs defied party general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami to back Vijay, deepening a split that could reshape Tamil Nadu's opposition landscape.
Key Takeaways
Joseph Vijay won the confidence motion with 144 votes in favour, 22 against, and 5 abstentions on 13 May 2025 .
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly was adjourned sine die after the trust vote.
DMK MLAs, led by Udhayanidhi Stalin , walked out before voting, accusing the TVK government of surviving on defections.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K.
Palaniswami directed all 47 faction MLAs to oppose the motion, but rebel AIADMK leader S.P.
Velumani defied him and voted in favour.
CM Vijay pledged his government would be secular and continue all major welfare schemes from previous administrations.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday, 13 May won the confidence motion in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly with 144 votes in favour, clearing the first major parliamentary test for his newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government. 22 MLAs voted against the motion and five members abstained, after which the Assembly was adjourned sine die.
Key Developments on the Floor
The trust vote was marked by dramatic scenes — a full DMK walkout, open fractures within the AIADMK, and heated exchanges between rival camps. Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin led all DMK MLAs out of the House before voting began, sharply criticising the Vijay-led government during the debate. Stalin accused the Chief Minister of encouraging political defections by reportedly meeting rebel AIADMK legislators earlier in the day. He questioned whether Tamil Nadu was witnessing
Point of View
But the arithmetic conceals structural fragility — the TVK government's survival hinged on rebel AIADMK legislators defying their own party whip, which is precisely the 'horse trading' the opposition accused Vijay of enabling. The AIADMK's open floor split is the bigger story here: Palaniswami's authority over his own legislators is visibly eroding, and a fractured principal opposition is rarely good for democratic accountability. DMK's walkout, meanwhile, was tactically shrewd — it denied the government a clean legitimacy narrative without lending credibility to a vote the party argued was tainted from the start.
NationPress
12 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many votes did Tamil Nadu CM Vijay get in the trust vote?
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay won the confidence motion with 144 votes in favour on 13 May 2025. Twenty-two MLAs voted against and five abstained.
Why did the DMK walk out of the Tamil Nadu Assembly trust vote?
Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin led all DMK MLAs out of the Assembly before voting, accusing the TVK government of lacking a stable independent majority and surviving through external support and political defections. Stalin questioned whether Tamil Nadu was seeing 'change or exchange' in politics.
What happened within the AIADMK during the trust vote?
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami directed all 47 faction MLAs to oppose the confidence motion, but rebel AIADMK leader S.P. Velumani defied the party line and led rebel MLAs in voting in favour of the Vijay government, exposing a deepening split within the party.
What did CM Vijay say during the confidence motion debate?
Chief Minister Vijay asserted that his administration would remain secular and committed to governance. He said, 'This government will function with the speed of a horse and not indulge in horse trading,' in a sharp remark directed at the opposition. He also pledged to continue all major welfare schemes from previous governments.
What happens after the Tamil Nadu trust vote?
Following the completion of the trust vote, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly was adjourned sine die. The TVK-led government now continues in office, though questions about its long-term majority stability — given its reliance on rebel AIADMK support — are likely to persist.
