India, May 13 -- Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay won a crucial trust vote in the state Assembly on Wednesday, with support from 144 MLAs, which included legislators from his party TVK. Smaller parties like IUML, VCK, CPI, CPI(M), and Congress were quick to show support to Vijay, quickly taking the TVK tally to 117, exactly the mark needed to prove majority.

However, the tally further improved for team Vijay as an internal AIADMK rift was thrown open in the Assembly. AIADMK chief Edapaddi Palaniswami opposed the confidence vote and said that all of the party's 47 MLAs would stand against the TVK, and the rival faction led by SP Velumani proved him wrong moments later.

Velumani had pledged support to Vijay a day before, vowing th...