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 will be 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.
Follow LIVE Updates On Tamil Nadu Floor Test
DMK Likely To Abstain In Vote Of Confidence
The MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is likely to abstain from voting during the floor test in the Tamil Nadu Assembly today.
Top Court To Hear Plea Against Order Barring TVK MLA From Floor Test
The Supreme Court will hear a plea filed by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLA R Seenivasa Sethupathi challenging the Madras High Court's interim order restraining him from participating in any floor test proceedings in the Tamil Nadu Assembly amid a dispute over his one-vote victory from the Tiruppattur Assembly constituency.
A bench of Justices L Victoria Gowri and N Senthilkumar had passed the interim direction while hearing a writ petition filed by former Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK leader KR Periakaruppan, who lost the Tiruppattur Assembly seat in Sivaganga district by a margin of just one vote.
Periakaruppan had alleged serious irregularities in the counting process and claimed that a postal ballot meant for Tiruppattur Assembly constituency No 185 in Sivaganga district was mistakenly sent to Tiruppattur Assembly constituency No 50 in Tiruppattur district near Vellore and was rejected there instead of being transmitted back to the correct constituency.
30 AIADMK MLAs To Support TVK In Floor Test
The opposition AIADMK appeared headed for a split on Tuesday after a group of MLAs revolted against party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, accusing him of seeking an alliance with archrival DMK, and announced support for the Vijay-led government ahead of the floor test.
About 30 MLAs, led by senior leaders SP Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam, are believed to be in the rebel camp that has questioned Palaniswami's leadership following the party's debacle in the April 23 assembly polls, where it won only 47 out of the 164 seats it contested.
The AIADMK leadership dismissed the allegations as "rumours" and accused the dissident leaders of "unleashing a bag of lies" after failing to secure victories in their own districts.
