The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium. Vijay, along with his cabinet ministers, took the oath in the name of God.
The event saw the presence of notable figures including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, veteran political representatives, film personalities like actor Trisha Krishnan, party workers, and enthusiastic supporters.
TVK emerged as the largest party in the 234-member Assembly, securing 108 seats. With Vijay winning from two constituencies and anticipated to vacate one, the effective strength of the party is expected to drop to 107, still short of the 118 seats required for a majority.
Following the announcement of the results, Vijay approached the Governor to claim his right to form the government. Raj Bhavan subsequently requested the party to demonstrate a majority, resulting in multiple discussions with other parties and independents over the course of nearly five days.
Congress, which secured five seats, was one of the first to back TVK. The CPI and CPI(M), each with two MLAs, also pledged their support. The alliance surpassed the majority threshold after the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and the Indian Union Muslim League, also with two MLAs each, endorsed the new government.
Later, Vijay returned to the Governor with letters of support and received the invitation to form the government. He has been instructed to seek a vote of confidence in the Assembly by 13 May at the latest.
Prior to the swearing-in ceremony, Vijay submitted a list of nine ministers for the new cabinet. Among those inaugurated were Aadhav Arjuna, N Anand, and KA Sengottaiyan. The proposed cabinet also features Dr KG Arunraj, P Venkataramanan, R Nirmalkumar, Rajmohan, TK Prabhu, and Selvi S Keerthana.
Thousands of supporters filled the stadium for the event, including Vijay’s family members. His mother, Shoba Chandrasekhar, expressed her “full faith” in his leadership, while relatives characterized the moment as a “dream come true,” especially since it coincided with Mother’s Day.
Founded by Vijay in 2024, TVK contested its inaugural full Assembly election this year, focusing on anti-corruption initiatives, welfare programs, and youth engagement.
Vijay’s ascent has shaken the historical dominance of the DMK and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu politics, attracting comparisons to former actor-chief ministers MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.
In a separate turn of events, on Sunday, Vijay resigned from the Tiruchirappalli East Assembly constituency while retaining Perambur, as stated by the State Assembly Secretariat.
An official announcement indicated that before taking office as chief minister, Vijay submitted his resignation and delivered the letter to Assembly Principal Secretary K Srinivasan via Ministers K A Sengottaiyan and P Venkataraman.
