Chennai, May 10:
In a landmark moment for Tamil Nadu politics, C. Joseph Vijay, founder of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister on Sunday, marking the end of decades-long dominance by the Dravidian majors.
The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor R. N. Ravi at a grand ceremony held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium. Along with Vijay, nine members of his Cabinet were also sworn in, signalling the formation of the State’s first non-Dravidian government in nearly six decades.
The new Cabinet includes senior TVK leaders such as N. Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, K. A. Sengottaiyan, Dr K. G. Arunraj, P. Venkataramanan, R. Nirmal Kumar, Rajmohan, Dr T. K. Prabhu, and S. Keerthana. All ministers took their oath in Tamil and in the name of God.
Dressed in a formal black suit, Vijay began his oath with “I, C. Joseph Vijay…”, drawing loud cheers and applause from the audience. He was the first to be sworn in, followed by his Cabinet colleagues.
Prominent among those present was Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who played a key role in helping Vijay secure the numbers required to form the government. Seated beside Vijay on the dais, Rahul Gandhi’s presence underscored the Congress party’s crucial support in the government formation.
In his electoral debut, Vijay’s party delivered a strong performance, winning 108 seats, with Vijay himself securing victory in two constituencies. However, with the effective strength of the party at 107, it fell short of the majority mark. The political deadlock that followed was resolved after the Congress extended its support, along with outside backing from parties such as the CPI, CPI(M), VCK, and IUML.
Following days of intense negotiations, Vijay met the Governor with letters of support from allied parties and staked his claim to form the government. The invitation to form the government came soon after, bringing an end to the week-long uncertainty and paving the way for the swearing-in ceremony.