Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader, C. Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday during a ceremony held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.
Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Vijay, who assumed office after TVK emerged as the single largest party in the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Assembly election and secured the backing of 120 MLAs in the 234-member House.
Alongside Vijay, nine ministers were also sworn in to the new Tamil Nadu Cabinet, officially marking the formation of the first TVK-led government in the state.
Indian National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attended the swearing-in ceremony and later congratulated Vijay, describing the development as the rise of “a new generation, a new voice and a new imagination” in Tamil Nadu politics.
The Congress leader was seen sharing the stage and interacting warmly with the newly sworn-in Chief Minister during the event.
Soon after assuming office, Vijay signed three key files as the first official acts of his administration. According to documents released by the Tamil Nadu government, the decisions included the provision of 200 free electricity units to domestic consumers using less than 500 units every two months, the establishment of a special “Singa Pen (women) special task force” to address crimes against women, and the formation of an Anti-Narcotic Task Force to combat the growing drug menace in the state.
Addressing the gathering after taking oath, Vijay said his government would first release a “White Report” detailing the true financial condition of Tamil Nadu before launching major new initiatives.
He stated that the state’s economy had been severely weakened by previous administrations and claimed Tamil Nadu was functioning under a debt of Rs. 10 lakh crore. Vijay appealed to the public for time and patience to rebuild the administration and fulfil the promises made during the election campaign.
Vijay also asserted that there would be no parallel authority centres within his administration, declaring that he alone would hold responsibility and authority over the government. "There is only one centre here, the centre under my leadership. A centre on this side, a power center on that side, another power center there - none of that exists, I'm telling you right now", he said.
The new Chief Minister thanked the people of Tamil Nadu, party cadres, alliance partners and supporters for backing TVK’s rise to power.
He ended his first speech addressing the public with,
“Be confident.
Only good things will happen.
Victory is certain.
We will meet again and again.”