Actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay took oath as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday at a grand ceremony in Chennai, marking a major shift in the state’s political landscape long dominated by the two Dravidian giants — the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
Rajendra Arlekar administered the oath of office to Vijay and nine other ministers during the swearing-in ceremony held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at 10 am. Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was among the prominent leaders present at the event.
Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which delivered a stunning performance in its electoral debut by winning 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly, formed the government with support from the Congress and several smaller parties that were previously part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance.
Also read
- Vijay’s cabinet includes one woman minister; who are the nine MLAs sworn in with the TVK chief?
- ‘Vaathi coming’: Vijay set to become Tamil Nadu’s first non-DMK, non-AIADMK CM in six decades
- Why M.K. Stalin persuaded DMK allies to join hands with Vijay’s TVK
- Did Vijay have the secret 'blessing' of Stalin to become CM and form government?
"Congratulations to Thiru C. Joseph Vijay on taking oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. Best wishes for his tenure ahead. The Central Government will keep working with the Tamil Nadu Government to improve the lives of people," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on 'X'
The uncertainty over government formation ended on Saturday evening after four MLAs from Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) extended unconditional support to TVK. The CPI and the CPI(M), with two MLAs each, had already declared their backing for Vijay.
With the support of these parties, TVK’s tally rose to 120 — just above the simple majority mark of 118 in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Vijay met Governor Arlekar for the fourth time on Saturday evening and submitted letters of support from allied parties. Following the meeting, the governor formally invited the TVK chief to form the government and asked him to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly before May 13.
A hugely popular actor and mass crowd-puller, Vijay has now become the first leader outside the DMK and AIADMK formations to head the Tamil Nadu government since 1967. He launched TVK in 2024, presenting it as an alternative to the state’s entrenched Dravidian political order.
