Chennai: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay took oath on Sunday as the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, marking a historic shift as the state welcomed its first government in nearly six decades that is neither led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) nor the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
The 51-year-old former film star was administered the oath of office and secrecy at a grand ceremony held at the packed Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. Family members and prominent political figures were present as Vijay assumed the state’s top post. Simultaneously, nine senior TVK leaders were sworn in as cabinet ministers during the event at the Jawaharlal Nehru indoor stadium.
Among those inducted into the cabinet was veteran politician KA Sengottaiyan, who had joined TVK after his expulsion from the AIADMK. The other ministers include Aadhav Arjuna, viewed as one of Vijay’s key strategists; CTR Nirmal Kumar, a former BJP member who won from Thiruparankundram in Madurai; TVK general secretary ‘Bussy’ Anand; television and film personality RajMohan; KT Prabhu, a dentist-turned-politician victorious from Karaikudi; Arunraaj, a former Indian Revenue Service officer; P Venkataramanan, the Mylapore MLA from Chennai; and 28-year-old S Keerthana, the youngest member of the new cabinet.
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TVK, founded just two years ago, delivered a stunning performance in the recent assembly elections, securing 108 seats out of 234. Although short of the 118-seat majority on its own, the party successfully built a coalition. Vijay engaged in extensive negotiations with potential allies and met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar four times to demonstrate his ability to form a stable government.
The breakthrough came through support from multiple parties. Congress, with its five MLAs, extended backing first. This was followed by the two Left parties — CPI and CPI(M) — each contributing two seats. The decisive support arrived from DMK allies Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), pushing the coalition’s strength to 120 seats and crossing the majority threshold. Vijay had earlier won from two constituencies and will vacate one, adjusting the final numbers accordingly.
Vijay, born on June 22, 1974, in Chennai, began his acting career as a child artist in the 1984 film Vetri. He rose to stardom with his lead debut in Naalaiya Theerpu (1992) and earned the popular moniker ‘Thalapathy’ during the promotion of his 1994 film Rasigan. Over the years, he delivered several major hits, including Thuppakki, Kaththi, Mersal, Bigil, and Leo. He stepped away from cinema in 2024 to launch TVK and pursue a full-time political career.