'Thalapathy’ Vijay becomes Tamil Nadu CM, ends decades-long DMK-AIADMK dominance

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief C Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday, marking a historic political shift in the state.

The development ends nearly six decades of dominance by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

The 51-year-old actor-turned-politician took oath at a packed Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai in the presence of family members, political leaders and film personalities. Among those present were his parents SA Chandrasekhar and Shobha, actor Trisha Krishnan and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.

Nine TVK leaders were also sworn in as ministers in the new cabinet. The team includes veteran politician KA Sengottaiyan, former BJP functionary CTR Nirmal Kumar, TVK general secretary ‘Bussy’ Anand, strategist Aadhav Arjuna and 28-year-old S Keerthana, the youngest member of the cabinet.

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A coalition built in days

The road to government for Vijay was not easy. His party TVK won 108 of Tamil Nadu's 234 assembly seats in last month's elections — a strong debut for a party formed just two years ago — but fell short of the majority mark of 118.

Vijay spent several days in intense coalition talks, meeting Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar multiple times. He secured support from the Congress (5 MLAs) and the two Left parties, the CPI and CPI-M (2 seats each).

The decisive push came on Saturday when DMK allies, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), pledged their backing, taking the coalition's total to 120 seats. Vijay must still seek a vote of confidence on the floor of the House by May 13.

From ‘Thalapathy’ to Chief Minister

Born in Chennai in 1974, Vijay began his film journey as a child artiste before becoming one of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars. He earned the title “Thalapathy” after the release of his 1994 film Rasigan and later delivered several blockbuster hits, including Thuppakki, Kaththi, Mersal, Bigil and Leo.

He formally entered politics in 2024 with the launch of TVK and quit the film industry soon after.

In his first speech as Chief Minister, Vijay described himself as a “common man” and promised to usher in “an era of real, secular, social justice.”

“There will be no power centre other than me. I will be the only centre of power,” he said, signalling that the government would function under his direct leadership.

First orders: Power, women's safety, and anti-drug drive

In his first act as Chief Minister, Vijay is set to sign orders providing 200 units of free electricity to domestic consumers, establishing a special task force to tackle the drug menace, and setting up a dedicated force with a helpline for women's safety.

He also announced he would consider releasing a white paper on the state's finances, citing a projected debt of Rs 10 trillion by March 2027. "We will not take a single penny from people's funds," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Vijay and said the Centre would work with the state government for the welfare of its people.