Vijay takes oath, to head TN's first coalition government
What's the story
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Chandrasekar Joseph Vijay has been sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday. The 51-year-old actor-turned-politician's party had won 108 out of 234 seats in last month's elections. He has formed a coalition government with support from Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Majority claim
Vijay claims support of 12 MLAs from other parties
Vijay met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Saturday to stake his claim to form the government. He claimed support of five Congress MLAs, two each from CPI, CPI-M, VCK, and IUML. Since Vijay was elected from two constituencies and will have to vacate one seat, the alliance's total stands at 120 MLAs.
Approval process
Oath-taking ceremony held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai
The governor was convinced after about an hour-long talk and appointed Vijay as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Arlekar also asked Vijay to seek the vote of confidence on or before May 13. The oath-taking ceremony was held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and actor Trisha Krishnan in attendance.
Cabinet formation
Cabinet reflects balance of political experience, youth representation
Vijay's cabinet includes nine ministers, including veteran leader KA Sengottaiyan and trusted strategist Aadhav Arjuna. reports described the cabinet as reflecting a balance of political experience, youth representation, technocrats, and caste equations. Vijay's mother, Shoba Chandrasekhar, expressed her happiness on Mother's Day, saying she was "very happy." His father, SA Chandrasekhar, also expressed joy at his son's achievement.