Chief Minister M.K. Vijay passed a confidence test in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, securing a majority vote [1].

The victory stabilizes the TVK-led government after a significant split within the AIADMK party threatened the administration's hold on power.

Between 143 and 144 MLAs voted in favor of the Chief Minister [2, 3]. The tally includes support from coalition partners such as the VCK and IUML, as well as rebel AMMK MLA Kamraj, and other small parties [1].

The outcome came despite a pledge from AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami that all 47 AIADMK MLAs would stand against the TVK [4]. However, the result indicated a fracture in that unity, as 25 rebel AIADMK MLAs voted for the Chief Minister [5].

"We have secured the confidence of the house," Vijay said after the vote [6].

Other party members chose not to participate in the vote. Four PMK MLAs and one BJP MLA abstained from the proceedings [7].

The floor test was held in Chennai to demonstrate that the TVK government retained the confidence of the house following the AIADMK internal divide [1, 2].

"All 47 AIADMK MLAs will stand against the TVK," Palaniswami said prior to the vote [4].

“"We have secured the confidence of the house," Vijay said.”

The successful floor test confirms M.K. Vijay's ability to maintain a working majority by leveraging fractures within the opposition. By securing the support of 25 AIADMK rebels, the TVK government has not only survived a legislative challenge but has effectively weakened the cohesive power of the AIADMK as a unified opposition block in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.