Actor-turned-politician Chandrasekhar Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10, after his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), emerged as the single largest force in the 2026 Assembly elections and formed a government with outside support. The oath was administered by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in a ceremony attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, members of Vijay’s family, film personalities including Trisha Krishnan, and thousands of supporters.
Nine senior TVK leaders were sworn in as ministers in Vijay’s first Cabinet. The ministers named were N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, KA Sengottaiyan, KG Arunraj, P Venkataramanan, R Nirmalkumar, Rajmohan, TK Prabhu and S Keerthana. Before the ceremony, Vijay personally welcomed the Governor and introduced him to the ministers-designate.
TVK, launched in 2024, won 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly in its maiden electoral contest, a result that ended decades of dominance by Tamil Nadu’s two principal Dravidian parties. Although TVK fell short of an absolute majority, it secured the numbers to form a government with the support of the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, VCK and IUML.
Political observers described the verdict as one of the biggest shifts in Tamil Nadu politics in recent decades, with voters backing a newcomer over long-established regional parties. Large crowds at the stadium and around Chennai reflected the popular support Vijay enjoyed during the campaign.
Known to supporters as “Thalapathy,” Vijay drew massive turnouts at rallies, prompting comparisons with former Chief Minister and film star M. G. Ramachandran. His campaign emphasized corruption, governance reform and social welfare-issues that have also featured in many of his films.
Vijay has long faced speculation about political ambitions; he has engaged in social outreach work and publicly spoken in favour of secular politics while acknowledging his Christian identity. In the recent election he contested and won from both Perambur and Trichy East constituencies and is expected to vacate one of the seats in the coming days.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/national/story/vijay-sworn-in-as-tamil-nadu-chief-minister-after-tvks-debut-poll-sweep-1389547-2026-05-10?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-05-10 10:42:00
