CHENNAI: For months on the campaign trail, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder-president C Joseph Vijay repeatedly invoked two watershed moments in Tamil Nadu politics — 1967 and 1977. At rally after rally, he asserted that the political transformation witnessed in those years would return in 2026. On Sunday, the actor-turned-politician turned that slogan into reality, taking oath as Chief Minister and scripting one of the most remarkable political ascents in the State’s electoral history.
Clad in a dark western suit and overcoat, Vijay took oath in the name of the Constitution of India before Governor in-charge Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at a packed Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium here, amid thunderous chants of “Vijay… TVK…” from cadres and supporters.
With this, Tamil Nadu has once again witnessed a film personality ascend to Fort St George and alter the State’s political trajectory, after C N Annadurai, M G Ramachandran, M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa shaped successive political eras.
Yet Vijay’s rise stands apart in several ways.
Unlike MGR, who spent years in active politics through the Congress and later the DMK before launching the AIADMK and eventually capturing power, Vijay entered electoral politics only in 2024. Through his fan club TVMI and welfare outreach initiatives, he cultivated a support base outside conventional party structures before formally floating TVK. In barely two years, the party contested its maiden Assembly election, emerged as the single largest formation with 108 seats and secured the support required to form the government.
The 1967 Assembly election ended the Congress party’s long dominance in Tamil Nadu and brought the DMK to power under Annadurai, fundamentally reshaping the State’s political discourse. A decade later, in 1977, MGR-led AIADMK defeated the DMK to form the government, marking another major political realignment. Vijay projected the 2026 election as the third such turning point, and Sunday’s swearing-in ceremony reinforced that narrative.
For the first time at a Chief Ministerial oath-taking ceremony in Tamil Nadu, the event commenced with “Vande Mataram”, followed by the national anthem and Tamil Thai Vazhthu.
Along with Vijay, nine ministers, including K A Sengottaiyan, N Anand and Aadhav Arjuna, were sworn in. Sources indicated that the Cabinet is likely to witness further expansion shortly.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared the stage with Vijay and exchanged greetings with him before the ceremony. BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran, senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan, Congress leaders Peter Alphonse, Praveen Chakravarthy and Left leaders were among those present.
Across Chennai, giant LED screens telecast the event live as TVK cadres burst crackers, waved party flags and celebrated what supporters described as the beginning of a new political chapter in Tamil Nadu.