Actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay, widely known as “Thalapathy” among his fans, took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, formally marking the arrival of a new political force in the state.
C Joseph Vijay was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar in the presence of party leaders, alliance partners and supporters who gathered in large numbers at the venue.
TVK crosses majority mark with outside support
Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, emerged as the single-largest party in the Assembly elections with 108 seats but fell short of the majority mark in the 234-member House.
Also Read | Vijay’s TVK crosses the line with Congress, Left, VCK and IUML support
The numbers eventually turned in TVK’s favour after Congress, CPI, CPI(M), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) extended support to the party. Their backing pushed the coalition strength to 120, comfortably above the required 118 seats.
#WATCH | Chennai: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Chief C Joseph Vijay takes oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. pic.twitter.com/8yGuYEAkfj
— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2026
The breakthrough came a day before the swearing-in ceremony when VCK and IUML, both part of the DMK-led alliance, submitted letters of support to the Governor. Following this, Arlekar invited Vijay to form the government and asked him to prove his majority on the Assembly floor on or before May 13.
Historic political shift in Tamil Nadu
With Vijay taking charge, Tamil Nadu has got its first Chief Minister outside the DMK and AIADMK fold since 1967, ending nearly seven decades of dominance by the two major Dravidian parties.
Nine other TVK legislators were also sworn in as ministers alongside Vijay. The list included 'Bussy' N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, K A Sengottaiyan, K G Arunraaj, P Venkataramanan, C T R Nirmal Kumar, A Rajmohan, Keerthana and K T Prabhu.
/ANI Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attended the ceremony after his party decided to support the TVK government despite previously being aligned with the DMK.
Also Read | Vijay to stake claim to form Tamil Nadu government after Left, VCK backing
Resort politics returns during government formation
The days leading up to the government formation witnessed intense political activity across the state. Congress MLAs backing TVK were shifted to Hyderabad, while TVK legislators stayed at a resort in Mamallapuram during negotiations. AIADMK MLAs, who had briefly moved to Puducherry, later returned to Chennai.
Amid the fast-moving developments, AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami greeted the “party that is set to form the government.”
Vijay, who won from both Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East, is expected to vacate one constituency, reducing TVK’s tally by one seat. Even then, the party is set to remain above the majority mark with continued support from its allies ahead of the trust vote.
