Two MLAs from the Indian Union Muslim League or IUML and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi or VCK have extended their support to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay. The two MLAs - AM Shahjahan from the Papanasam Assembly constituency (IUML) and Vanni Arasu from the Tindivanam constituency (VCK) took oath today.
On Thursday, 21 MLAs from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and two from Congress - Rajesh Kumar and P Vishwanathan - took oath. Earlier, on May 10, Vijay took oath as chief minister along with nine ministers from his party, the TVK.
Vijay's Cabinet is now complete with 35 ministers, including himself. He can have up to 35 ministers, which is 15 percent of the Assembly strength of 234.
In recently concluded Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, TVK emerged as the single largest party, winning 108 seats in the 234-member assembly, but fell short of majority. After days of back and forth with allies, Vijay mamaged to prove majority and form government. Congress' five MLAs, two each from the two Left parties, the VCK and the IUML provided the needed strength to Vijay's party to go past the magic number of 118 in the House of 234.
On May 13, a floor test was held and Vijay won the confidence vote in the state Assembly with 144 votes, garnering support from the IUML, Congress, VCK, CPI, CPI(M) and AIADMK MLAs.
When VCK And IUML Kept Vijay On The Hook
Thol Thirumavalavan-led VCK and the IUML, both MK Stalin-led DMK, kept Vijay guessing if they will help him form the government or not. And when they did come around, they made it clear that it is with blessings of former chief minister MK Stalin and avert the possibility of a Governor's rule in the state.
Until Thursday morning, both the VCK and IUML had not named their MLAs.
One of the theories around the delay in naming MLAs surrounded around VCK and IUML playing 'wait and watch' game. The two parties may want to see how the government functions and if it is worth their while to snap ties with the DMK and join forces with the TVK full-fledged, the political watchers believed.
