Actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay was sworn in as chief minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday, ending nearly six decades of rule by governments led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) or the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office to Vijay at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, with tight security arrangements. Senior political leaders attended the ceremony, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Soon after taking charge, Vijay moved to implement key election pledges, announcing 200 units of free electricity per month for domestic consumers. He also signed files approving the creation of a special force focused on women’s safety and the setting up of an anti-drug squad, his office said.
The governor approved Vijay’s recommendation to appoint nine ministers, according to an official release from Raj Bhavan. Those named to be sworn in include ‘Bussy’ N. Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, K.A. Sengottaiyan, K.G. Arunraaj, P. Venkataramanan, C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar, A. Rajmohan, K.T. Prabhu and S. Keerthana, who will be the lone woman minister in the cabinet.
Vijay was invited to form the government after submitting letters of support from the Congress, the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and the Indian Union Muslim League.
His party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), won 108 seats in the recently concluded 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly election. The Congress secured five seats, while the CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML won two seats each. Vijay has been asked to prove his majority on the floor of the assembly on or before May 13.
The swearing-in marks a historic shift in Tamil Nadu politics, where DMK- and AIADMK-led governments have alternated in power since 1967.
Vijay launched TVK in 2024 after years of speculation about his political ambitions. In the 2026 assembly polls, he won from both Perambur and Trichy East constituencies and is expected to resign from one seat in line with election rules.
PM Modi Congratulates Vijay
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated C Joseph Vijay on taking oath as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu and wished him success in his new role, while reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to work with the state government for the welfare and development of its people.
“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,” Modi wrote in a post on X, tagging Vijay’s party handle. |
