Actor- turned- politician Thalapathy Vijay took oath as Tamil Nadu’s chief minister on Sunday, a big break in a state long ruled by DMK and AIADMK. This followed his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam joining the coalition government with the allied parties.
Vijaya took the Oath and secrecy administered by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai. Vijay, who is the president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, took office after securing sufficient support to form a government.
Soon after the ceremony, Vijay signed his first set of orders. They included up to 200 units of free electricity for domestic consumers, the creation of anti-drug units across the state and a special force focused on women’s safety, according to The Tribune.
The decisions gave the new government an immediate welfare and public-safety focus. Vijay said in his maiden address that a new era of government committed to “real secularism and social justice” had begun, The Tribune reported.
The swearing-in followed days of political negotiations after TVK emerged with enough support to cross the majority threshold in the 234-member Assembly. Reports said Vijay had the backing of 120 elected members, two more than the number required for a majority.
The ceremony drew several political figures, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Nine leaders also took oath as ministers alongside Vijay.
According to Indian media outlets, the new cabinet led by Vijaya includes N. Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, K. A. Sengottaiyan, K. G. Arunraaj, P. Venkataramanan, C. T. R. Nirmal Kumar, A. Rajmohan, K. T. Prabhu and S. Keerthana.
Vijay’s popularity in Indian politics has drawn national attention because it challenges the two-party pattern that shaped Tamil Nadu politics for decades.
The new government will face a vote of confidence in the Assembly, which is his first test now.
Thalapathy Vijay, full name — Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, born June 22, 1974, Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu, India — is an Indian actor-turned-politician.
As an actor, he is known for his work in Tamil films and is regarded as one of contemporary southern Indian cinema’s biggest and most bankable stars. He is noted for his mass appeal and the frenzy he inspires among fans, who popularly refer to him as Thalapathy (“Leader”).
He drew the curtain on his career as a lead actor with Jana Nayagan (2026; “People’s Hero”), which served as a cinematic preamble to his leap into politics.
Vijay founded the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK; “Victory Party of the Tamilakam”), which made its electoral debut in Tamil Nadu’s 2026 legislative assembly elections, emerging as the single largest party in the state.
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