AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami removes 25 party leaders after they back Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay in floor test

AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Wednesday removed 25 party leaders from their posts after rebel MLAs defied the party line and backed C Joseph Vijay during the confidence vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Among those removed were senior AIADMK leaders SP Velumani and C V Shanmugam. The action came after rebel AIADMK legislators, including Natham R Viswanathan, voted in favour of the TVK government during the floor test earlier in the day.

Following the revolt, Palaniswami replaced the removed leaders and appointed new district secretaries in their place, according to PTI.

The confidence vote proved crucial for the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, which had emerged as the single-largest party in the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections but was struggling to secure the majority mark of 118 despite support from the Congress.

The TVK government eventually won the trust vote by 144 votes to 22, aided by support from 25 rebel AIADMK MLAs. Members of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam staged a walkout during the proceedings.

The 22 votes against the motion came from AIADMK legislators loyal to Palaniswami, while the rebel faction aligned with the Velumani-Shanmugam camp voted in favour of the government, as they had indicated earlier.

After the vote, opposition parties accused the ruling side of horse trading, allegations that Vijay rejected.