Vijay Sworn In as Tamil Nadu CM, Unveils First Cabinet

After days of political suspense that had all of Tamil Nadu watching, C. Joseph Vijay — the superstar known to millions simply as “Thalapathy” — was sworn in as Chief Minister on Sunday morning, stepping from the silver screen into the highest office in the state. The ceremony, held at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium under tight security, was attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who flew in from Delhi, along with film personalities, industrialists, and a sea of jubilant supporters.

The oath-taking capped a week of genuine uncertainty. Vijay’s newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) had pulled off a stunning victory over the incumbent DMK — led by M.K. Stalin — winning 108 seats in the 234-member assembly. But that left him 10 seats short of a majority, and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar refused to invite him to form a government until he could prove he had 118 legislators behind him. Vijay met the governor four times in as many days before finally receiving his appointment letter on Saturday night, after securing support from the Communist Party of India, CPI-M, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, and the Indian Union Muslim League — each holding two seats — bringing the alliance to 120 MLAs. Congress, with five seats, had pledged support almost immediately after results came in.

Some constitutional experts had argued the delay was unnecessary, pointing to precedent where governors invite the single largest party to form a government and allow them to prove their majority on the floor of the house. But the governor’s office maintained it needed formal proof of a stable majority before acting.

A Cabinet Built to Govern

Nine ministers were sworn in alongside Vijay, and the lineup reads like a deliberate statement about what kind of government he intends to run.

The most experienced hand in the room belongs to K.A. Sengottaiyan, a ten-time legislator whose political career stretches back to the 1970s. He first entered the assembly in 1977 during M.G. Ramachandran’s AIADMK government and later became a close associate of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, handling major portfolios including Revenue and School Education. Expelled from the AIADMK in 2025 following a falling-out with party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Sengottaiyan eventually found his way to TVK — and now to the Cabinet table, where he’s expected to oversee the Public Works Department.

N. Anand, popularly known as “Bussy” Anand, is widely regarded as one of Vijay’s closest political associates and is tipped for the Municipal Administration portfolio. He played a central role in building TVK’s grassroots structure and previously served as an MLA in Puducherry after winning from the Bussy assembly constituency in 2006.

Aadhav Arjuna, considered one of TVK’s principal strategists, also joins the Cabinet. A former basketball player and ex-President of the Basketball Federation of India, Arjuna had a brief stint with the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi before becoming one of the party’s most visible faces. The Villivakkam MLA-elect is expected to head the Sports Development portfolio — a fitting assignment.

Perhaps the most talked-about appointment is 29-year-old S. Keerthana, the first woman MLA elected from Sivakasi and the youngest face in the Cabinet. A former political consultant and digital campaign strategist, she has worked with election teams linked to M.K. Stalin, Mamata Banerjee, and N. Chandrababu Naidu. Her elevation is being read widely as a signal that this government intends to take women’s representation seriously.

Former IRS officer and doctor K.G. Arunraj resigned from government service to enter politics under Vijay’s banner, serving as TVK’s General Secretary for policy and propaganda before winning from Tiruchengode. He’s expected to oversee Commercial Taxes and Registration. R. Nirmal Kumar, who ran TVK’s IT and social media operations and was instrumental in post-poll negotiations with Left parties, also earned a ministerial berth — a former BJP functionary who joined TVK in 2025. Actor, comedian, and television anchor A. Rajmohan, who served as the party’s propaganda secretary, won from Egmore and is likely headed to the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department.

Senior advocate and TVK treasurer P. Venkataramanan — considered the party’s prominent Brahmin face and the man who administered the party pledge at TVK’s maiden state conference in 2024 — took oath as well, likely to handle School Education. Rounding out the nine is dentist-turned-politician K.T. Prabhu, who made headlines by defeating Naam Tamilar Katchi founder Seeman in Karaikudi.

Vijay himself is expected to retain the Home, Police, and Public Administration portfolios — a clear sign that the first-time politician intends to keep a direct grip on governance and law and order as he finds his footing.

“I Am One Among You”

When Vijay addressed the crowd after taking his oath, it was an emotional moment — and he didn’t try to hide it.

“Greetings to everyone who resides in my heart,” he began, before tracing his journey from the son of an assistant film director — someone who understood poverty and hunger firsthand — to the chair of Chief Minister. “I am not someone who comes from a royal political background. I am one among you. I feel like your son, your brother, your younger sibling. It is because you felt the same way that you brought me to this position,” he said.

He didn’t shy away from the hard realities either. Tamil Nadu, he revealed, is carrying a debt burden of nearly Rs 10 lakh crore. “I will release a white paper on the state’s financial condition before moving forward with major decisions,” he announced, asking for patience as his government takes stock of what it has inherited.

His promises were direct: women’s safety, eliminating narcotics, stronger ration distribution, healthcare, drinking water, and roads. On corruption, he was unambiguous. “Vijay will not commit any mistake, and he will not allow wrongdoing,” he said, adding that not even “a single paisa” of public money would be misused on his watch. And to anyone hoping political maneuvering might destabilize his government early: “There is only one power centre here.”

A Legacy in the Making

The comparisons to M.G. Ramachandran — the matinee idol who formed his own party and became Chief Minister in 1977 — have followed Vijay since he launched TVK in 2024 and announced he was retiring from films to focus on politics full-time. Like Ramachandran, and like his successor Jayalalithaa, Vijay has converted screen stardom into political capital in a state where cinema and power have always been intertwined.

But there’s a meaningful difference: neither Ramachandran nor Jayalalithaa arrived in office without political experience. Vijay does. The 51-year-old star of 69 films has never held elected office before Sunday. His TVK didn’t exist two years ago. And yet his party just demolished a duopoly that had governed Tamil Nadu for decades.

“Whether they are friends or enemies, all eight crore people of Tamil Nadu are my people,” he told the crowd. For a man who spent decades playing heroes on screen, the real test has just begun.