CHENNAI: Chief Minister and TVK president C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday mounted a strong political counterattack on the DMK after winning the confidence motion in the Assembly, asserting that the ruling TVK government enjoyed a clear people's mandate and accusing the principal opposition party of refusing to accept the political shift in the State.
In a statement issued hours after the trust vote, Vijay said the confidence motion reflected the strength of the people's government, with 144 MLAs voting in favour of the administration, 22 opposing it, five remaining neutral, and 60 members abstaining.
Thanking parties and legislators who backed the motion, Vijay said the proceedings had been conducted transparently and accused the DMK of repeatedly questioning the legitimacy of the government despite the electoral verdict.
"The DMK continues to push the outdated argument that this government lacks majority public support. But the people of Tamil Nadu know the reality, " he said.
The Chief Minister claimed that TVK, despite contesting independently, secured nearly 35 per cent vote share in the Assembly election, while the DMK's standalone vote share stood at around 24 per cent.
"TVK received more than 1.72 crore votes on its own, nearly 53 lakh votes higher than the DMK's individual tally," Vijay said, citing Election Commission figures.
He also defended the support extended to the government by parties including the Congress, VCK, CPI, CPI (M) and IUML, saying their backing stemmed from the government's commitment to secularism and social justice.
Launching a direct attack on the DMK, Vijay accused the party of political hypocrisy for questioning alliances and legislative support despite its own past association with the BJP.
Without naming Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin directly, Vijay said the opposition was struggling to come to terms with TVK's emergence as a major political force.
"Our focus is not political drama, but governance and welfare," he added.