Tamil Nadu is gearing up for an unprecedented political transition, with actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay preparing to be sworn in as the next Chief Minister on May 7, news agency ANI reported citing sources. The oath-taking ceremony is likely to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai. His party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has delivered a sensational debut performance, emerging as the single largest party in the 234-member Assembly by securing 108 seats.
The rise of TVK marks one of the biggest political shake-ups in the state's recent history. By falling only ten seats short of the majority mark of 118, the party has disrupted the decades-long dominance of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. To form the government, TVK is expected to seek additional support from parties such as the Congress, PMK, Left parties, CPI(M) and the VCK, which may help it cross the majority threshold.
DMK suffers major blow as MK Stalin loses Kolathur
Outgoing Chief Minister MK Stalin faced a significant setback after losing the Kolathur seat to TVK candidate VS Babu by 8,795 votes. The DMK managed to win only 59 seats which reflects a steep decline in its electoral strength. Following the results, Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar accepted Stalin's resignation along with that of his Council of Ministers and requested him to remain in office until the new government assumes charge.
A historic shift in Tamil Nadu's political arena
Vijay's elevation marks a watershed moment in state politics, as Tamil Nadu will witness a government outside the DMK-AIADMK orbit for the first time since 1977. His entry into full-time politics places him alongside iconic actor-leaders like NT Rama Rao, MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. Meanwhile, key alliance leaders, including Thol Thirumavalavan, CPI(M) State Secretary Shanmugam and CPI State Secretary Veerapandian, are expected to meet Stalin to discuss the way forward for the opposition.
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