AIADMK cross-voting jacks up TVK tally in Tamil Nadu assembly to 144 amidst allegations of horse-trading

The cross-voting by 25 rebel MLAs of AIADMK helped make the TVK government's floor test in the Tamil Nadu assembly on Wednesday a cakewalk.

With the help of the AIADMK MLAs, the TVK government's tally improved significantly to 144 amidst allegations of horse-trading by the opposition.

Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin said that the TVK government was sustaining with "borrowed" allies and by splitting the AIADMK.

As many as 25 AIADMK legislators, including former state ministers S P Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam voted in support of the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government during the floor test. On its own the TVK had 105 MLAs in the House when the floor test was taken up.

AMMK's lone MLA from Mannargudi S Kamaraj who was expelled by the party chief T T V Dhinakaran on May 12 for supporting the TVK, voted in favour of the government.

As many as 21 AIADMK MLAs backing party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and the latter too, voted against TVK while PMK's four legislators and the lone BJP member abstained. The DMK with 59 MLAs and its ally the DMDK (legislator and party general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth) walked out.

Later, responding to the horse-trading charge, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay said his government will move at full throttle (horse speed) to deliver development rather than indulge in backroom political deals.

(With PTI inputs)