Actor-turned-politician Vijay officially began his tenure as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday after taking oath before Governor R. V. Arlekar at a ceremony in Chennai. Soon after assuming office, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief signed a series of government orders linked to his key election promises.
The first set of orders included providing 200 units of free electricity for domestic consumers, forming a special force for women's safety, and setting up anti-drug trafficking units across the state. These promises had featured prominently in TVK's election campaign, Hindustan Times reported.
Vijay announces priorities after taking charge
In his first public address after becoming Chief Minister, delivered at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Vijay said a "new era" had started in Tamil Nadu politics.
He stated that his government would work on the principles of "real secularism and social justice." Vijay also made it clear that there would be "no parallel power centres" in the administration and that all governance decisions would function under a single leadership structure, as reported by HT.
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The TVK founder thanked parties including the Indian National Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Indian Union Muslim League, and Left parties, for supporting his government formation.
He also thanked young voters and children, saying their support and influence within families contributed significantly to TVK's electoral success.
Support from allies helped TVK cross majority mark
TVK emerged as the single largest party in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly after winning 108 seats in the election results declared on May 4. However, the party remained short of the majority mark of 118.
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Congress first extended support with its five MLAs, while insisting that the BJP-led NDA forces remain outside the alliance. Later, the Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist) also backed TVK with two MLAs each.
Support letters from VCK and IUML further raised TVK's strength to 120, allowing Vijay to comfortably form the government.
