Finance
Actor-cum-Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) President C. Joseph Vijay was sworn in as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister on Sunday, ushering in a historic political shift in the state after nearly six decades of alternating rule by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
At a magnificent event held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered Vijay’s oath of office and secrecy.
Nine ministers were sworn in alongside him as members of the new council of ministers.
The event was attended by various national and regional political heavyweights, including Lok Sabha Leader Rahul Gandhi, film personalities, party workers, and thousands of supporters, forcing authorities to implement huge security measures in and around the location.
Prior to the ceremony, Chennai police deployed tight security, increased vehicle inspections, and established strict access control measures surrounding the stadium.
Special seating arrangements were arranged for significant visitors who attended the swearing-in ceremony.
The front row seats were allocated for Vijay’s parents, veteran filmmaker S.A. Chandrasekhar and Shobha Chandrasekhar. Actress Trisha Krishnan and her mother were also given seats in the same row, attracting the attention of the journalists and spectators assembled at the site.
Vijay took office after the TVK-led alliance won the support of 120 MLAs in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, comfortably exceeding the 118-member majority required to establish a government.
While the TVK emerged as the single largest party in the recently held Assembly elections, it fell short of an outright majority, resulting in intensive political negotiations over the last several days.
The uncertainty was ultimately resolved on Saturday evening, when the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) backed the Vijay-led grouping.
Previously, the Congress, the Communist Party of India (CPI), and the Communist Party of India-Marxist had all supported the TVK, allowing the actor-turned-politician to stake a claim to form the government.
After obtaining support, Vijay met with Governor Arlekar at Lok Bhavan in Chennai on Saturday night and presented letters of support from all five allies: the Congress, the CPI, the CPI-M, the VCK, and the IUML. The Governor then selected Vijay as Chief Minister-designate and asked him to form the ministry. He has also asked the new Chief Minister to seek a vote of confidence from the Assembly on or before May 13.
The swearing-in of Vijay is a watershed event in Tamil Nadu politics, as a non-Dravidian party has taken power in the state for the first time since 1967. Political commentators see the development as a significant shift in the state’s political scene, which has traditionally been dominated by the DMK and AIADMK.
Source: IANS
