Chief Minister Vijay: TVK government finally takes oath at mega event in Tamil Nadu, floor test by May 13
Nine newly-elected TVK MLAs also took oath along with Vijay on Sunday. These include Aadhav Arjuna, KA Sengottaiyan, N Anand, Dr KG Arunraj, P Venkataramanan, R Nirmalkumar, Rajmohan, Dr T Prabhu and S Keerthana.
Actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay took oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister today, 10 May, days after his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's (TVK) stellar debut performance in assembly polls. The swearing-in was held at Chennai's sprawling Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium amid Vijay's sea of supporters ending days of uncertainty over government formation.
Vijay-led TVK managed to clinch key support of the Congress, Left and two other smaller parties after it ended at 108 seats, 10 short of 118 , the majority mark in 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly. The TVK now has support of 120 MLAs in the 234-member assembly. Vijay won from two seats in the assembly polls and will resign from one seat.
Rahul Gandhi also present
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was also present at the mega event on Sunday.
Quick answers to key questions
C Joseph Vijay, actor-turned-politician and leader of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party, has taken oath as the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
C Joseph Vijay took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10, following his party's debut performance in the assembly polls.
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won 108 seats in its debut assembly polls, falling short of the 118 majority mark by 10 seats.
The oath of office to C Joseph Vijay as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was administered by Rajendra Arlekar, the acting Governor of Tamil Nadu.
C Joseph Vijay is the first leader outside the DMK and AIADMK formations to head the Tamil Nadu government since 1967, marking a significant shift in the state's political landscape.
Nine newly-elected TVK MLAs also took oath along with Vijay. These include:
1-Aadhav Arjuna
2-KA Sengottaiyan
3-N Anand
4-Dr KG Arunraj
5-P Venkataramanan
6-R Nirmalkumar
7-Rajmohan
8-Dr T Prabhu
9-S Keerthana.
The oath of office on Sunday was administered by Tamil Nadu's acting Governor Rajendra Arlekar, who had warlier invited Vijay to take oath. CM Vijay has to prove majority on the floor of assembly before 13 May.
The election results were announced on 4 May, yet the suspense continued till 9 May as Vijay scrambled for numbers to cross 118 seats – the magic number.
The suspense, however, ended when VCK, which has two seats, finally extended support after keeping the TVK on tenterhooks and the political circles abuzz over its stand over the last two days.
With his oath, Vijay, 51, has become the first leader outside the DMK and AIADMK formations to head the Tamil Nadu government since 1967.
With the party formed two years ago, Vijay pitched himself as an alternative to traditional Dravidian parties. Vijay called Periyar his ideological leader, while noting that the party will not adopt his atheism, unlike the DMK. He also referred to CN Annadurai, K Kamaraj and BR Ambedkar as the party's leaders for the idea of social justice.
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
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