Tamil Nadu CM Vijay shuts 717 TASMAC outlets, TVK faces early legal battle with challenge to MLA's win ahead of trust vote

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 12 : The first major policy move of the newly elected Tamil Nadu government under Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay triggered both political debate and public praise on Tuesday after the administration ordered the closure of 717 Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) liquor outlets located near temples, schools, colleges and bus stands across the state.

At the same time, the new government faced its first legal hurdle after the Madras High Court restrained a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLA from participating in the Assembly confidence vote, while the Assembly itself witnessed a show of rare political civility as ruling and opposition leaders exchanged greetings and promises of cooperation.

In one of the biggest early governance decisions of the TVK government, Chief Minister Vijay directed officials to shut down TASMAC liquor retail outlets functioning within a 500-metre radius of places of worship, educational institutions and bus stations within two weeks. According to an official release, the TASMAC currently operates 4,765 liquor shops across the state, of which 717 were found violating the specified distance norms according to a survey ordered by the Chief Minister.

The government said the closures include 276 outlets near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions and 255 near bus stands. The decision is significant because TASMAC remains one of Tamil Nadu's biggest revenue-generating systems, even as demands for liquor shop closures have echoed across party lines for years.

"With the welfare of the general public in mind, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay, has issued orders to close within two weeks 717 retail liquor shops situated within a 500-metre radius of places of worship, educational institutions and bus stands," the government release stated.

The move immediately drew support from allies, opposition leaders and women's groups. Kamal Haasan welcomed the decision and said Tamil families had long demanded the removal of liquor shops near sensitive public places.

"Liquor sales should never be a function of the government; the government must take responsibility for regulating the flow of alcohol. Today, it has begun by closing 717 liquor shops. This number must be increased," Haasan said.

Tamil Nadu Minister and TVK leader Selvi S Keerthana called the decision a direct response to women's expectations. "This is what the women had expected. On the second day itself, we implemented it. The women are celebrating this announcement," she said.

TVK MLA Vijay Saravanan described the order as a welfare-oriented step. "The order to close more than 700 TASMAC shops near schools and colleges is a great act by our Chief Minister Vijay, thinking about women's welfare," he said.

Another TVK MLA, P Rhevanth Charan, said the public had strongly supported the move. "Liquor shops near temples, educational institutions and hospitals ought to be closed. This decision has been received very well by the public," he remarked.

Support also came from Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) President KM Kader Mohideen, who said people had been agitated over liquor shops operating near schools and religious places for years. "Vijay has done it, we appreciate it," Mohideen said while also praising the Chief Minister's outreach to leaders across the political spectrum.

Even as the government celebrated its welfare push, the administration ran into a legal and political challenge ahead of facing a trust vote on the Assembly floor. The Madras High Court restrained TVK MLA Srinivasa Sethupathi from participating in the Assembly confidence vote after a petition filed by former DMK minister KR Periyakaruppan alleged irregularities in postal ballot handling during the Tirupattur constituency election.

Periyakaruppan, who reportedly lost the election by a single vote, alleged that a postal ballot intended for the Tirupattur constituency had been transferred to another constituency in Vellore district. The Election Commission argued before the court that no such transfer had occurred and that complaints received after vote counting could not be acted upon under existing rules. However, the court observed that there was sufficient material to examine the allegations further.

The High Court has directed authorities to preserve postal ballots and related video footage while temporarily restraining Sethupathi from voting during the confidence motion. The Vijay-led government quickly moved the Supreme Court of India, challenging the interim order, with Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi mentioning the matter before the Chief Justice-led bench. The plea is scheduled to be heard on May 13.

Despite the courtroom battle, the Assembly proceedings themselves reflected an unusual tone of political civility.

TVK MLA JCD Prabhakar was unanimously elected Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, marking another key step in the formation of the new government. Prabhakar, who won from the Thousand Lights constituency by defeating DMK candidate Ezhlian Naganathan, filed his nomination in the presence of Chief Minister Vijay.

DMK president MK Stalin congratulated both Prabhakar and Deputy Speaker Ravishankar and urged them to uphold the dignity of the House.

"The number of members from other parties exceeds that of the ruling party. That is the verdict of the people. I believe the Assembly will be guided in a manner that respects this and ensures the voices of the opposition ring out strongly," Stalin said.

Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin also struck a conciliatory tone while addressing the Assembly, praising Vijay for meeting opposition leaders after assuming office. "Even if we are on different rows as the ruling government and opposition party, we all should work together for Tamil Nadu's development. This is the wish of the people also," he said.

However, Udhayanidhi simultaneously reignited ideological tensions by reiterating his controversial remarks against Sanatan Dharma inside the Assembly, saying, "Sanathanam, which separated people, should be eradicated." The statement drew immediate criticism from the BJP, with spokesperson CR Kesavan accusing the DMK of "divisive hate politics."

The Assembly also witnessed debates over cultural symbolism after Udhayanidhi objected to "Vande Mataram" being played ahead of the Tamil Thai Vaazhthu during the swearing-in ceremony. Referring to previous tensions with former Governor RN Ravi, he urged the government not to allow Tamil Nadu's state song to be "pushed to the second spot."

Meanwhile, the TVK government continued consolidating support in the Assembly amid a fractured mandate. The ruling party, which emerged as the single-largest force with 108 seats, received backing from Congress, CPI and CPI(M), while also facing fresh political controversy involving Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) MLA S Kamaraj.

AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran expelled Kamaraj from the party after the MLA extended support to Vijay in the Assembly. Dhinakaran accused Kamaraj of violating the party's official position and acting independently in favour of TVK.

The dispute intensified ongoing tensions between TVK and AMMK over allegations that Kamaraj's support letter had been forged, claims TVK has denied while releasing a video purportedly showing the MLA voluntarily backing the Vijay-led government.

Adding to the challenges facing the ruling party, police in Pudukkottai arrested TVK functionary Saravanan in connection with an alleged Rs 25 crore investment fraud case involving over 100 people. According to police, Saravanan allegedly collected money from investors by promising high returns before disappearing. His arrest triggered protests outside the Superintendent of Police's office, where angry investors demanded strict action and recovery of their money.

From ordering TASMAC closures to engaging opposition leaders and navigating legal battles, the new Chief Minister has moved quickly to shape the political narrative in the first days of the TVK government even as the ruling party faces intense scrutiny from both courts and the opposition benches.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor