Venkatesan. D

Tamil Nadu CM Floor Test Highlights: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay comfortably won the floor test on Wednesday, securing support from 144 MLAs after the DMK staged a walkout, bringing down the effective majority mark to 88 from 117. While 22 MLAs from the AIADMK camp led by Edappadi K Palaniswami voted against the government, 25 MLAs from the rebel CV Shanmugam faction backed Vijay. Four Pattali Makkal Katchi MLAs and one BJP legislator abstained from voting. Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government had been formed with support from the Congress, Left parties, VCK and IUML. An AMMK MLA had also extended support before being expelled from the party. The Assembly proceedings witnessed high drama as infighting within the AIADMK spilled into the open. Tensions escalated after the Speaker invited rebel AIADMK leader SP Velumani to speak, triggering protests from the EPS camp, which repeatedly called for unity within the party ahead of the trust vote. Stay tuned to indiatoday.tech for all the latest updates.

A moment from the visit, captured on camera, also showed three members of Vaiko’s household staff having what appeared to be a clear fan-girl moment with actor-turned-politician Vijay.

TVK chief Vijay took oath as Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister on Sunday at a ceremony attended by political leaders, and his supporters and family members. The support extended by Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML was essential in securing the Governor's nod to form the government. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attended the ceremony, where Vijay took oath alongside eight other TVK leaders, who were sworn in as his ministers. PM Modi called to congratulate him.

The warmth between the two leaders, coming just days after the Congress ended its decades-old alliance with the DMK, could signal the emergence of a new political equation not just in Tamil Nadu, but possibly at the national level as well.

P Chidambaram said Congress and the wider political establishment had underestimated Vijay and TVK before the Tamil Nadu verdict. He said Congress backed TVK after the results to avoid another election and President’s Rule.

After tense negotiations, the DMK ultimately forced the Congress to scale down its demands and settle for 28 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu and one Rajya Sabha seat.

Ahead of the polls, seat-sharing discussions between the alliance partners in Tamil Nadu have reportedly stalled, with the DMK unwilling to significantly raise its offer and the Congress reluctant to scale down its demands. Then comes a wedding in Chennai where the DMK-Congress leaders including MK Stalin and Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, could meet and end the deadlock. Read more...