MLAs were offered cash: EPS's big claim as AIADMK infighting becomes public
While 25 MLAs of the SP Velumani faction of the AIADMK voted in favour of Vijay, 22 belonging to the EPS camp voted against the motion. Vijay eventually won the floor test with the support of 144 MLAs.
High drama unfolded inside the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly during Chief Minister Vijay's floor test on Wednesday when the rumoured AIADMK feud broke out in the open after party General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami made a big claim that his MLA were offered cash to vote in favour of the TVK chief. While Palaniswami declared that the 47 AIADMK MLAs would oppose the motion backing Vijay, party leader SP Velumani, who is said to be leading the 'rival' faction, openly vowed support for Vijay.
Vijay, the newly sworn-in chief minister, was facing a trust vote to prove his majority in the House days after he took oath. The TVK chief had the support of 119 MLAs before the test, without the backing from any of the AIADMK MLAs. He eventually won the floor test with the support of 144 MLAs.
However, things went haywire inside the House during the debate on the confidence motion when EPS rose to speak and alleged that many of the AIADMK MLAs were offered cash in a horse-trading attempt, persuading them to vote in favour of the TVK chief. He added that six of the MLAs were also offered ministerial berths, leading to certain former ministers ending up voting for TVK.
"There have been horse-trading attempts to poach AIADMK MLAs. I have got information that some might get ministerial births and take part in the ruling government. You said you want to run a pure and transparent government and we hope so," EPS said.
"We oppose the resolution. All AIADMK MLAs will vote against it," the former chief minister declared, adding, "All parties have difference of opinion. We sought votes for the AIADMK alliance to win. 47 won under the Twin Leaves symbol. Around 66 percent people did not vote for the TVK".
However, things took an unexpected turn when Speaker JCD Prabhakar allowed AIADMK MLA SP Velumani to speak right after EPS, a gesture vehemently opposed by the party general secretary. Team EPS argued that two separate leaders from the same party cannot speak at a time.
"SP Velumani spoke yesterday and had asked to speak today too," said the Speaker, adding that it was his prerogative to decide who he has to allow to speak during a debate.
Exuding complete defiance to the party line decided by Palaniswami, SP Velumani openly vowed support to Vijay. "Respecting the wish of the people, the AIADMK supports the Confidence Motion brought by CM", he said.
Later, Chief Minister Vijay, when he rose to speak during the proceedings, extended gratitude to Velumani for pledging support to the TVK.
DMK ATTACKS TVK, STAGES WALKOUT
Meanwhile, adding to the drama was Leader of Opposition, Udhayanidhi Stalin, who launched a sharp attack on the TVK government, before the DMK staged a walkout from the House.
Questioning the legitimacy of the new government, Udhayanidhi said, "Majority numbers, 118 is need to form Government which this party does not have".
He argued that while 4.97 crore people voted in the election, only 1.70 crore voted for TVK, claiming that "65% has rejected the Government" and that most voters did not back Vijay to lead the state.
He also referred to legal and procedural issues, saying one MLA had been barred by the High Court from participating in the confidence motion, bringing the effective majority mark into focus.
Udhayanidhi alleged that the government was surviving only because parties like the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) extended support to prevent President’s Rule.
Taking aim at the alleged political outreach, he said, "This is my decent version, but TTV said they were involved in horse-trading even before coming to power," while accusing the TVK of seeking support from rivals, including sections of AIADMK.
VIJAY WINS TRUST VOTE
With the AIADMK internal rift playing out in the open and the DMK staging a walkout of the House, Chief Minister Vijay won the trust vote with the support of 144 MLAs, easily crossing the majority mark of 118.
While 144 MLAs voted in support of the Vijay-led TVK, five MLAs abstained from voting while another 22 opposed the government. The DMK walked out with its 59 MLAs before the voting could even begin.
Interestingly, 25 MLAs of the SP Velumani faction of the AIADMK supported the TVK, while the 22 MLAs that opposed the motion were all from the EPS faction of the party.
With SP Velumani’s faction openly backing the TVK government and the EPS camp of the AIADMK opposing it, the party’s internal battle has moved from speculation to open confrontation.
The split raises questions over AIADMK’s unity, leadership and its role in the opposition space, especially as the state heads toward future electoral contests.
If the divide widens, Tamil Nadu could witness a major realignment, with Vijay’s government potentially gaining from a fractured opposition and shifting alliance equations.