Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 5 (ANI) Tamil Nadu is set for a major political shift, with Chandrasekaran Joseph Vijay, the leader of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), scheduled to take the oath of office as the state’s new Chief Minister on May 7, sources said.
The swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, they said.
Vijay’s political debut has been nothing short of spectacular, as TVK emerged as the single largest party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, winning 108 seats out of the 234-member legislature. The party’s performance is a significant upset to the long-standing dominance of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), with TVK falling just 10 seats short of the majority mark of 118.
To form the government, TVK is expected to seek support from smaller parties, including Congress, PMK, Left parties, CPI(M), and VCK, which could push it past the majority threshold.
The election results also delivered a major setback for outgoing Chief Minister MK Stalin of the DMK, who lost in Kolathur to TVK’s VS Babu by a margin of 8,795 votes. The DMK secured only 59 seats, a significant decline for the party.
Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Tuesday accepted the resignation of MK Stalin and his Council of Ministers, following the electoral result. The Governor has requested Stalin to continue in office until the new government takes charge.
Vijay’s rise to power marks a historic moment, as Tamil Nadu will witness its first government outside the DMK and AIADMK dominance since June 1977. His victory has shattered long-held perceptions about actors struggling to transition into politics, placing Vijay among the ranks of iconic actor-turned-leaders like NT Rama Rao, MG Ramachandran, and J Jayalalithaa.
Meanwhile, key alliance leaders, including Thol Thirumavalavan, CPI(M) State Secretary Shanmugam, and CPI State Secretary Veerapandian, are scheduled to meet Stalin on Wednesday to discuss the next steps.
