Chennai, May 10: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Chandrasekar Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday, in a grand ceremony at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office to Vijay, who now leads the first non-Dravidian party government in the state since 1967, breaking nearly six decades of DMK and AIADMK dominance.

The TVK, making history in its debut assembly election, secured 108 seats and crossed the majority mark of 118 with the support of allied parties.

Also read: VCK Paves Way for Vijay to Become‘Thalapathy’ of Tamil Nadu

Congress contributed five MLAs, while Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) added two. The Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) each pledged two lawmakers, bringing the bloc’s strength to 120 MLAs in the 234-member Assembly.

Alongside Vijay, nine ministers took oath, including ‘Bussy’ N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, KA Sengottaiyan, KG Arunraaj, P Venkataramanan, CTR Nirmal Kumar, A Rajmohan, Keerthana, and KT Prabhu. Notably, the new Cabinet features S Keerthana as its lone woman minister, signalling inclusivity in the leadership team.

Vijay is expected to prove his majority in the Assembly through a confidence vote by May 13. His rise marks a watershed moment in Tamil Nadu politics, as an actor-turned-politician embraces Dravidian ideals while positioning himself as an alternative to traditional Dravidian parties.

The swearing-in ceremony drew senior political leaders, film personalities, and party workers, reflecting the heightened public interest in this historic transition. Vijay’s leadership is widely seen as a turning point, ushering in a new era in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.