CM Vijay Moves Confidence Motion: Historic Floor Test Underway in Tamil Nadu Assembly

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:00]Mr. C Joseph Vijay has moved a resolution in the assembly seeking a confidence vote.

[00:00:06]The move comes amid intense political activity and a high stakes floor test in the state legislature.

[00:00:12]The confidence motion is expected to test the strength of the ruling alliance with all eyes now on how MLAs cast their votes in the assembly. And with that I want to go across to Shekhar Vijayan.

[00:00:25]Shekhar, this development of course I'd like your comments on it. But if I ask you, uh you know, do you believe this crisis is more about governance issues or internal power struggles within the alliance?

[00:00:40]I think it's a it's a mix of both. It's a most it's a mix of these are all teething problems which happen initially when a third front comes to power. You know, we all expected that either DMK or ADMK will come to power.

[00:00:50]Now with Vijay coming he's ended the duopoly which has been existing for the last 50 years. This these are all teething issues which happens initially uh with and also with the with the two on floor which happened with the governor, right? He didn't have the exact numbers. He went to the governor and the numbers were wrong. He had to go back again. It's I think it's all a part of uh you know, his him maturing as a politician in the last few days. I think Vijay has learned a lot in the last few days. And hopefully he manages his flock well. That's going to be important here.

[00:01:16]Uh flock well also. He also needs to manage the dissenting voices in his team well. He has so I think what the focus really has to be is what kind of direction does he provide? What does he do in the first 100 days? What steps has he taken? Is he listening to people?

[00:01:29]What are the grievances he's listening into? Uh what are the mandate he came in in for? Like in terms of infrastructure, in terms of youth opportunities, in terms of employment opportunities. Those are the things he really needs to focus on. All these other things around this floor test he will get through because he's got the numbers in place. Uh he has to manage the dissenting voice as well.

[00:01:46]He has to manage the coalition partners well. So he has got to learn the art of diplomacy here also because it's not going to be like acting in films where you are in front of the spotlight. Here you have to got to give other people also a chance. You have to take everybody and go together. Like I believe it's one for all, all for one.

[00:02:00]So, uh here everybody has to be in in this together because it's not going to be about one man representing leadership. Vijay is representing the party, but it's going to be about the collective strength. And what kind of opinion does he have in this? Like what is this what is his vision for Tamil Nadu? Where does he see Tamil Nadu? He has a great opportunity here, Vaishali, to create a blueprint for Tamil Nadu. To create something which everybody's looking at. See, we've been talking about this for the last 1 week. We're talking about Vijay and what he's doing for Tamil Nadu politics for the last 1 week. Now, this is a great opportunity for him to create something out of the unknown. To create a blueprint, to give a more professional touch to the art of Indian politics. Until now, we've seen Indian politics is all about being about horse trading, power struggle, you know, ideological differences. If he can work that all that out together and using his personal charm, personal charisma, translate his star power to political power, I think there's something very interesting which is going to happen.

[00:02:52]And it's going to be very interesting because not just India, I think the whole world is going to be watching this. Uh this this entire power shift, this entire, uh you know, design which is happening right now as we speak in Tamil Nadu politics. This will also get a lot of youngsters involved in politics. The Gen Z population, uh you know, which will want to take an active part in politics.

[00:03:11]So, Vijay's rise is or Vijay what Vijay does in the next 100 days is going to have a domino effect in how people think about politics at large. It's going to change the entire dynamics. If he plays his cards well, that is.

[00:03:25]All right. Um I now have Mr. G.

[00:03:28]Sridharan, senior journalist, joining me.

[00:03:31]Welcome, Mr. Sridharan, and I want to begin by asking you now of course, uh how crucial do you think is today's floor test for the political future of Vijay and his government?

[00:03:48]Difficult for him for now, right now, as the things unfold in Tamil Nadu, because um he you have a lot of people coming forward to support him.

[00:04:00]And the ADMK faction, there is a factional feud happening in ADMK also.

[00:04:06]And one one group will support him. That is not a difficult thing. But the as the earlier speaker said, the the difficult most difficult thing is how he will proceed after this.

[00:04:20]That is more important because right now also, it may be teething troubles, but right now also, there are some discordant you know, voices we are hearing. And that is not very good, I may say.

[00:04:36]Having said that, there he he is new to the politics. And as you know, Gen Z's supported him. And Gen Z's are not My my own daughter, who's a Gen Z, he's she when she applied for a an opening in an internship, they said that we are we are skeptical of Gen Z's because they are very impatient. And so, that is happening here also. That I know, Gen Z's are impatient. So, that he must keep in in mind because 14 lakh Gen Z's or new voters have voted for him. So, that is a big tall order. And he must play his cards well. And there is lot of aspirations and all associated with him. And this is as rightly said, it is not film where he is the whole focus of attention. Now, the people are also focus of attention.

[00:05:34]And every every move always will be watched very closely. And and he was supposed to herald a new change in Tamil politics right now. I I may be sounding little cynical, but right now it is not happening, but how far he will be able to manage it that it all depends on how he will play his cards in the future.

[00:06:02]That's back to you.

[00:06:06]All right. I'd request all my guests to stay on with me. Now, in a significant political development in Tamil Nadu, the Congress has extended support to the TVK government during the confidence vote process.

[00:06:19]The party said the vote of confidence is not a normal vote, but a test of respect for the democratic process and protection of social justice. Congress leader Rajesh Kumar said the party will support the government stating that the people's verdict is equal to God's verdict.

[00:06:36]He further described it as a politics of love against the politics of hate warning against any attempt to disrupt communal harmony in the state.

[00:06:48]And with that, I'd like to go across to Rajalakshmi Joshi. Rajalakshmi, what do you have to say on this?

[00:06:57]Oh.

[00:06:58]Uh Vaishali, I'm so glad that you know in at least in Tamil Nadu, the EVM and the Election Commission and everybody has made sure that the the people's voice, who is the God's voice, has been heard and even though I the Congress has doubts about it about how the vote chori and election chori has been done in West Bengal, but at least in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the people's voice was heard as per the Congress at least. So, you know, it is it is strange how they call it the voice God's voice in Tamil Nadu and in the Kerala, and the same thing was election was stolen in West Bengal. So, I mean, that is at least at least partly the Election Commission has been victorious, I would say. So, and it is also strange how quickly they actually turned their loyalties and how quickly they have actually heard the God's voice. And and but at the same time, I'm shocked as to how they kept silent when yesterday Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin, he was talking about Sanatana Dharma and he was talking about eradicating Sanatana Dharma. So, I mean, for them God and God's voice and you know, all these things, religion, all of them seem to be a very selective kind of a an aspect. So, that is something that that is very amusing and ridiculous and also something that I don't know. I have no words to say about this kind of a political convenience. So, anyway, now for the Congress, it was very convenient for them to just find a way back into power just like they found a way back into power in Maharashtra where, you know, they were like almost caught sleeping and then suddenly they found themselves back in power where they they had no clue that they're going to be in power along with the NCP and Mr. Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena. So, similarly, now this time around too, with being the one of the most dismal performances, five out of whatever number of seats, 28 seats that they were contesting for a party that was actually a very strong party in Tamil Nadu. At least they find their way back into power now in Tamil Nadu. So, I'm glad that at least now they have actually realized that the Election Commission is is functioning at least partly and that they realized that democracy is running at least in Tamil Nadu and in Kerala.

[00:09:28]And I hope that they respect the people's voice not just in Tamil Nadu and in Kerala, but in all over the country. So, this is the I hope that this kind of a positive attitude is shown all over the country, Rashmi.

[00:09:42]All right. Now, in a major show of unity, viewers, in Tamil Nadu politics, the Congress, CPM, and VCK have announced their support to Chief Minister Vijay's TVK government ahead of the trust vote in the assembly. The move comes as a floor test approaches, strengthening the ruling side's position. The Congress holds five MLAs, while CPM and VCK have two legislatures each, adding crucial numbers to the trust vote count.

[00:10:12]VCK said it earlier backed DMK before the polls, but now stands with TVK after what it called a decisive mandate.

[00:10:20]Congress, meanwhile, said Tamil Nadu has always stood for secular politics, and it will continue to defend those values.

[00:10:29]With that, I want to go across to Mr. Narayan. Mr. Narayan, what do you have to say about uh I want to open this debate up a little bit. What do you have to say about Raj what Raj Lakshmi is saying, and of course this the latest development?

[00:10:42]Well, I'm Raj [clears throat] Lakshmi is absolutely right. I'm thoroughly amused that when the Congress wins someplace, they don't gripe about the Election Commission's uh uh you know, fairness.

[00:10:57]Where they lose, you know, they say, "Oh, something is wrong." You know, it reminds me of this famous uh Hindi saying, uh "Nachna jaane uh Angan tedha. Angan tedha. Right, you know?

[00:11:12]I see. And also, I'm also amused by this jump of the Congress party from DMK's bed to into TVK's arms. We must remember that the Congress and DMK worked together, aligned. Their alliance lasted more than 20 years during Mrs. Gandhi's time and Manmohan Singh's time. From 1971 to '77, 1980 to '84, and 2004 to 2014.

[00:11:44]They also had alliance with MGR when AIADMK was in power during 1984 to '96 and 1977 to '80.

[00:11:57]And Jayalalithaa had a an arrangement with the Congress party when Rajiv was alive, but Rajiv died and she came back to power in 2021 again. So, I have I just state the facts and I leave it to our viewers to you know, make their own decisions or judgments about the morality particularly practiced by the great Congress party, which is more than 100 years old, the oldest party in our country. And the fact that these these 10 MLAs belonging to little little parties declaring their support to you know, Vijay is no big deal. I mean, that's how he was invited to form the government, but uh I have deep suspicions about these people you know, continuing their support and Vijay should do something to secure his majority and I foresee the possibility of a split in the AIADMK and I think the Dravidian rule ought to come to an end. And the split the party and maybe come and join the TVK and merge with it so that you have a DMK versus TVK including the AIADMK, but this is you know, in my imagination, but I will not be shocked or surprised if this were to happen in the next few months, Vaishali.

[00:13:26]All right, I'll come back to my guest now in Tamil Nadu politics of