C Joseph Vijay, popularly known as “Thalapathy” among fans, took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, marking a major political shift in the state. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief officially formed the government after days of intense political discussions and support from several parties that helped him cross the majority mark in the Assembly.
With this, Vijay has become the first Tamil Nadu Chief Minister since 1967 who does not belong to either the DMK or the AIADMK, ending decades of dominance by the two Dravidian parties.
From cinema superstar to Tamil Nadu CM
Vijay’s rise from one of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars to the state’s top political post has become one of the biggest political stories in recent years. The 51-year-old actor-turned-politician secured the support of 120 MLAs, comfortably crossing the required majority mark of 118 seats in the 234-member Assembly.
His victory came after multiple parties extended support to TVK over the last few days.
Congress and regional parties back TVK
The political situation in Tamil Nadu changed dramatically after the Congress decided to break away from its alliance with the DMK and support Vijay’s party. Apart from Congress, several other parties also backed TVK, including:
- Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK)
- Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)
- Communist Party of India (CPI)
- Communist Party of India (Marxist)
While these parties supported Vijay to help form the government, they have not officially joined the ruling alliance.
Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar formally invited Vijay to form the government after he submitted letters of support from allied parties. According to an official statement from Lok Bhavan, Vijay informed the Governor about his election as the leader of the TVK Legislature Party.
Four days of political drama before breakthrough
The invitation came after four days of political uncertainty in the state. Vijay reportedly met the Governor multiple times earlier this week, but an invitation to form the government was delayed as the required numbers were still being verified.
The breakthrough finally came after TVK secured confirmed support from several opposition parties. Senior TVK leaders, including K.A. Sengottaiyan and Aadhav Arjuna, accompanied Vijay during the final meeting with the Governor.
The Vijay-led government must prove its majority before May 13 as directed by the Governor.
