Thalapathy Vijay Takes Oath As Tamil Nadu's New CM
Actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay became Tamil Nadu Chief Minister after his party secured majority support and formed the government.
Actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay, popularly known as Thalapathy Vijay, has officially become the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. His party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), formed the government after crossing the majority mark with support from smaller parties.
TVK created history in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections by winning 108 seats on its own. In the 234-member Assembly, 118 seats are needed for majority.
After the results, Vijay needed support from other parties to form the government. Congress was the first major party to support TVK. Later, other parties like CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML also extended support.
Congress, which won 5 seats, left its alliance with DMK and backed Vijay. This decision shocked many people because Congress and DMK were long-time allies in Tamil Nadu politics.
With this support, TVK’s total strength reached around 120 seats, helping it cross the majority mark.
The process of forming the government was not easy. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar first asked TVK to prove that it had enough MLA support.
After support letters were submitted by Congress and other parties, Vijay was invited to form the government.
Vijay took oath as Chief Minister on 10 May 2026 in Chennai. The ceremony had tight security and was attended by many political leaders, including Rahul Gandhi.
Former Chief Minister M. K. Stalin criticised Congress for changing sides. DMK leaders called this move “politically immoral”.
Vijay’s political journey has been one of the biggest stories in recent years. Before politics, he was one of the top stars in the Tamil film industry.
He launched TVK as a new option against DMK and AIADMK. During the election campaign, Vijay focused on youth, first-time voters and people who wanted change.
Experts said his clean image, strong fan following and active campaigning helped TVK grow quickly across the state.
This election result is historic because it broke the long dominance of DMK and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. Vijay became the first leader outside these two parties to form the government since 1967.
One moment from the oath ceremony became a big talking point. Instead of the usual Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu, the event started with Vande Mataram.
In his first speech, Vijay said Tamil Nadu is facing a serious financial crisis. He said the state has a debt of Rs 10 lakh crore and accused the previous DMK government of leaving the treasury empty.
He promised to release a White Paper soon to show the real financial condition of the state.
Vijay also signed his first official orders as Chief Minister. These include 200 units of free electricity for people and setting up special teams to control drug-related crimes and improve women’s safety.
