Tamil Nadu's Thalapathy CM: TVK chief Vijay takes oath

Dressed in a crisp white shirt and black trousers, actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar walked into Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Sunday morning to deafening chants of “Thalapathy, Thalapathy”, capping one of the most dramatic political rises Tamil Nadu has witnessed in decades.

As thousands of supporters waved TVK flags outside the venue and party workers burst crackers across parts of Chennai, the man once celebrated for delivering punch dialogues on screen prepared to take oath as the state’s first non-Dravidian Chief Minister in 59 years.

The atmosphere around the venue resembled a film's launch as much as a political coronation. Giant cutouts of Vijay lined the roads leading to the stadium, drums beat continuously outside the gates, and supporters wearing white clothes and TVK scarves danced to Vijay’s film songs blaring from massive speakers.

The swearing-in ceremony carried as much cinematic buzz as political significance. Dressed in a blue silk saree, Vijay's close friend and actor Trisha Krishnan arrived at the stadium, drawing loud cheers from fans and media gathered outside the venue. As she left her residence earlier in the morning, Trisha briefly reacted to reporters calling it a “big day for Tamil Nadu”, saying, “Thank you, looking forward.”

Inside the packed stadium, the front rows reflected the unusual coalition -- political, cinematic and personal -- that carried Vijay to power. Vijay’s parents, veteran filmmaker SA Chandrasekhar and singer-producer Shoba Chandrasekhar, arrived shortly before the ceremony and took their seats in the VIP enclosure alongside senior TVK leaders, film personalities and alliance leaders backing the new government.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also arrived in Chennai ahead of the ceremony and was welcomed by state Congress leaders, underlining the importance of the Congress’s support in helping TVK cross the majority mark in the Assembly. He was later seen sharing the stage with Vijay right before his oath-taking.

For Vijay’s supporters, the moment carried symbolism far beyond electoral numbers. The actor, who once played a crusading Chief Minister in film Sarkar, was now preparing to head a real government after his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as the single largest party in the Assembly elections.

Vijay received the Governor’s clearance to form the government on Saturday after submitting letters of support from 120 MLAs, crossing the halfway mark in the 234-member Assembly with backing from the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). Despite intense discussions over Cabinet berths and alliance demands, the coalition managed to scrape past the majority mark with a slender tally of 120 legislators.

FOURTH TIME'S THE CHARM AS VIJAY GETS GOVERNOR'S NOD

The road to the swearing-in, however, was anything but smooth. Saturday’s meeting with the Governor was Vijay’s fourth in a week after earlier attempts fell short of the required numbers, triggering days of intense backroom negotiations, alliance manoeuvring and political uncertainty.

TVK had won 108 seats in its maiden Assembly election — a stunning debut that disrupted Tamil Nadu’s traditional Dravidian political order but still left the party short of a majority. Vijay himself won from two constituencies and will eventually vacate one seat, bringing the party tally down to 107.

As coalition talks intensified over the past few days, supporting MLAs were moved to resorts and hotels amid fears of poaching. Congress legislators were flown to Hyderabad, while TVK MLAs stayed at a luxury resort in Mamallapuram near Chennai, reviving memories of Tamil Nadu’s resort politics seen after the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2016.

TVK also faced allegations of horse-trading from NDA ally Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam (AMMK) during the frantic government-formation exercise.

VIJAY'S CABINET HAS 9 NAMES SO FAR

Even as celebrations erupted, attention quickly shifted to Vijay’s first Cabinet, which reflects an attempt to balance political experience, caste equations, technocrats and loyalists from the party’s inner circle.

Among the biggest names in the ministry is veteran leader KA Sengottaiyan, once closely associated with former Chief Ministers MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. Expelled from the AIADMK after criticising Edappadi K Palaniswami’s leadership, Sengottaiyan’s inclusion is being seen as an attempt to add administrative experience and political heft to the fledgling government.

Aadhav Arjuna, one of Vijay’s closest strategists and a key organisational figure within TVK, also arrived at the venue ahead of the ceremony and is set to take oath as minister. Sengottaiyan too was seen entering the stadium before the event began.

TVK General Secretary Anand, known for building the party’s grassroots machinery, is also part of the Cabinet, along with Nirmal Kumar, a former BJP functionary who switched camps and emerged as an important TVK face in southern Tamil Nadu.

The other ministers set to take oath include Raj Mohan, known for his television and film appearances, dentist-turned-politician Dr TK Prabhu, former IRS officer Arun Raj, Mylapore MLA P Venkataramanan and Keerthana, who is set to become one of the youngest ministers in Tamil Nadu politics.

Sources also said Congress MLA Vishwanath from Melur would join Vijay’s Cabinet later, though he is not part of Sunday’s swearing-in ceremony.

Outside the venue, however, none of the coalition arithmetic seemed to matter to supporters who had gathered since dawn. For them, the swearing-in marked the culmination of years of political signalling, fan mobilisation and a whirlwind electoral debut that has now reshaped Tamil Nadu politics forever.