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Vijay set to become Tamil Nadu CM, but a final test awaits on May 13; here’s why
Vijay is set to take oath as the new Tamil Nadu chief minister after securing a strength of 120 in the 234-member House.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder C Joseph Vijay is set to take oath as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10 after securing majority support. The actor-turned-politician met Governor RV Alekar at Lok Bhavan on Saturday, where he formally staked claim to form the government. The Governor accepted and invited him to form the Ministry.
The appointment, though, comes with a condition: the new chief minister must prove his majority on the floor of the assembly through a vote of confidence on or before May 13.
What this means
Even though Vijay has been invited to form the government, his position is not fully secured until he wins the trust vote in the assembly. This is a constitutional requirement in parliamentary systems to ensure that the chief minister continues to enjoy majority support after taking office.
A vote of confidence is a formal motion moved in the assembly where all MLAs vote to confirm whether they support the newly formed government. If Vijay’s government fails to secure majority support, it would be required to resign immediately.
In this case, the Governor has set a deadline of May 13.
Vijay to be the new Tamil Nadu CM
Vijay submitted a letter to the Governor confirming his election as leader of the TVK Legislature Party, according to the official Raj Bhavan press release.
He also presented support letters from key allies including the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which collectively gave him a clear majority in the Assembly.
After multiple rounds of meetings over five days, and last-minute confirmations from allies, Vijay’s coalition secured around 120 MLAs, comfortably above the majority mark in the 234-member House.
With this, the Governor invited him to form the government and scheduled the swearing-in ceremony for Saturday at 10 am at Nehru Stadium in Chennai.
