Actor Joseph Vijay sworn in as Tamil Nadu chief minister after historic election win

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Chandrasekhar Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday, marking a dramatic shift in the state’s political landscape.

The ceremony took place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, where Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy.

Vijay’s rise to the top post comes after TVK’s strong debut in the 2026 state elections, which ended decades of alternating power between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

The swearing-in event drew a large gathering of political leaders and public figures. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attended the ceremony, along with Vijay’s parents and actor Trisha Krishnan, among others.

Before taking oath, Vijay welcomed Governor Arlekar at the venue and introduced him to his council of ministers. The atmosphere at the stadium reflected the scale of public interest in the actor-turned-politician’s new role.

Along with Vijay, nine TVK leaders took oath as ministers in the new government. They include N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, KA Sengottaiyan, KG Arunraj, P Venkataramanan, R Nirmalkumar, Rajmohan, TK Prabhu and S Keerthana.

The new cabinet marks TVK’s first formal entry into governance since the party was launched in 2024.

Although TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly, it fell short of the 118-seat majority required to form the government.

The political deadlock ended on Saturday evening after key parties, including the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), extended support to Vijay. Earlier, the Congress, CPI and CPI(M) had already backed the TVK alliance.

With support letters from all five allies in hand, Vijay met Governor Arlekar at Raj Bhavan in Chennai and formally staked his claim to form the government. He was subsequently invited to take charge as chief minister and has been asked to prove his majority in the Assembly by May 13.

Popularly known as ‘Thalapathy’, Vijay has long enjoyed a massive fan following, often drawing comparisons with former chief minister MG Ramachandran, another actor who made a successful transition into politics.

His election victory is being seen as one of the most significant political developments in Tamil Nadu in decades, with TVK becoming the first non-Dravidian party to take power in the state since 1967.

Political observers say the result signals a major shift in voter sentiment and a reshaping of the state’s long-standing two-party dominance.

With his swearing-in, Vijay enters office at a time of high expectations and political change. Analysts believe his leadership will now be closely watched as Tamil Nadu begins a new chapter after nearly six decades of DMK-AIADMK rule shaping its politics.