Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay has crossed a comfortable 144-22 victory in the assembly floor test, but the bigger test now lies in governance and coalition management. Vijay’s rise from post-poll uncertainty to the chief minister’s office marked one of Tamil Nadu’s most dramatic political transitions, aided by a split in the AIADMK and the DMK’s decision to stay away from the trust vote. Since taking charge, Vijay has moved quickly with early announcements including free electricity for select households, a women’s safety task force, and anti-narcotics units, signalling intent to project decisive governance. At the same time, his attack on the previous DMK government over the state’s finances suggests the economy could become a major political battleground. While the trust vote has ended immediate questions over survival, the unusual political arithmetic backing his government raises fresh questions about long-term stability.