Today, Vijay must prove his majority in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. Meanwhile, a faction within the AIADMK—led by C.V. Shanmugam—has pledged its support to Vijay. The AIADMK leadership has issued a stern warning: if C.V. Shanmugam’s team defies the party whip during today’s confidence vote, the entire faction will face immediate expulsion. In this sense, today marks a trial by fire not on