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Tamil Nadu CM Vijay wins confidence vote; AIADMK splits over party control
CM C. Joseph Vijay won a trust vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly with 144 votes, backed by alliance partners and a faction of AIADMK lawmakers. The victory intensified a factional crisis within AIADMK, as Palaniswami ousted several leaders and rival leaders rejected the moves, while the broader symbol dispute from past years loomed over the party’s future. The event unfolds ahead of the 2026 assembly elections amid ongoing internal battles and defection concerns.
Why It Matters
The vote confirms Vijay's government but deepens AIADMK's leadership struggle, potentially influencing governance in Tamil Nadu and its electoral prospects in 2026.
Timeline
13 Events
May 14, 2026: TVK prominence amid AIADMK internal crisis ahead of elections
May 14, 2026
The article notes TVK's support helped Vijay's government, but AIADMK's internal leadership clash and party-control claims continued to unfold ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.
Speaker invites Velumani to speak; Shanmugam counters
May 13, 2026
Speaker Prabhakar invited Velumani to speak; Velumani claimed his lawmakers would vote for TVK, while Shanmugam said no such legislative party meeting had occurred.
Anti-defection concerns raised; possible disqualification
May 13, 2026
AIADMK leaders warned that the 25 Vijay-backers could face anti-defection proceedings unless the faction commands two-thirds strength; the speaker and courts would decide.
Velumani asserts AIADMK MLAs will back TVK; Palaniswami accuses lure of posts
May 13, 2026
Velumani stated that AIADMK lawmakers would vote for the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK); Palaniswami alleged some MLAs were lured with ministerial posts to defect.
Shanmugam rejects removals; vows to participate in general council
May 13, 2026
Shanmugam rejected the removals and said a general council meeting would decide the party's course; he claimed the leadership resolution presented to the speaker was fake.
Palaniswami extends purge: 23 more posts removed
May 13, 2026
Palaniswami removed 23 others from district posts and other offices closely tied to the rival faction.
Palaniswami purge begins: 26 leaders removed
May 13, 2026
Hours after the trust vote, Palaniswami removed 26 leaders, including 12 AIADMK legislators, from all party posts and appointed his own picks.
Trust vote: Vijay wins with 144 votes
May 13, 2026
In the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, Vijay secured 144 votes; alliance partners supported him, DMK walked out alleging horse-trading; 25 AIADMK MLAs led by Velumani and Shanmugam backed Vijay; 22 AIADMK MLAs voted against.
Oath taken by Vijay as Tamil Nadu CM
May 10, 2026
Vijay took oath as chief minister, becoming the first to lead Tamil Nadu without belonging to either of the two major Dravidian parties.
EC resumes hearings into party bylaws; Palaniswami's general secretary post
April 28, 2025
The Election Commission resumed hearings into the party's internal affairs, including amendments to bylaws and Palaniswami's appointment as general secretary, following a court-order vacuum.
OPS expelled from AIADMK
June 2022
Panneerselvam (OPS) was expelled from AIADMK in June 2022, triggering renewed disputes within the party.
EC symbol decision: merger leads to two-leaves symbol
November 2017
In November 2017, after the Palaniswami and Panneerselvam factions merged, the Election Commission allotted the two-leaves symbol.
Historical context: AIADMK symbol split traced to 2016
December 2016
The current crisis mirrors the 2016 split following J. Jayalalithaa’s death, when rival factions contested AIADMK’s symbol and the Election Commission froze it.