Chennai: Popularly known among his fans as “Thalapathy,” C. Joseph Vijay took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, marking a historic political transition in the state. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several prominent leaders were present during the swearing-in ceremony.
After days of intense political discussions and support from various parties, Vijay-led TVK crossed the majority mark in the Assembly. With this, Vijay became the first Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu since 1967 who does not belong to either the DMK or the AIADMK, bringing an end to the decades-long dominance of the two Dravidian parties in the state.
The journey of the 51-year-old superstar from being one of Tamil cinema’s biggest actors to occupying the highest political office in the state has emerged as one of the most remarkable political stories in recent years. Vijay secured the support of 120 MLAs in the 234-member Assembly, comfortably surpassing the majority mark of 118 seats.
The political landscape of Tamil Nadu witnessed a dramatic turn when Congress decided to break its alliance with the DMK and extend support to Vijay’s party. Besides Congress, several other parties also backed TVK, including Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Communist Party of India (CPI), and Communist Party of India (Marxist). However, these parties have not officially joined the ruling alliance.
Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar formally invited Vijay to form the government after receiving letters of support from allied parties. According to an official statement issued by Raj Bhavan, Vijay informed the Governor about his election as the leader of the TVK Legislature Party.
