Vijay takes oath as Tamil Nadu CM

• Actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay was sworn-in as the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on May 10.

• Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to TVK founder Vijay and nine of his cabinet members at a ceremony held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.

• Although Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) did not secure the majority in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly on its own, Vijay managed to get support from the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), CPI, CPI(M) and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) to gather 120 MLAs and cross the 118 majority mark to form the government.

• The TVK was launched in February 2024.

• The ascent of Vijay to the CM post marks a historic political shift in the state, shattering the decades-long dominance of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in the state.

• The Congress, which severed its ties with the DMK to extend support to TVK, has announced that its ties with Vijay's party were for all future elections. 

• Chief Minister Vijay introduced three schemes related to electricity, women’s safety and drug eradication as part of his poll promises.

• He signed a government order providing 200 free units of electricity to domestic consumers who use up to 500 units per two-month billing cycle.

• To instil confidence among women and enhance their safety, a ‘Singa Pen Special Action Force’ equipped with adequate personnel and state-of-the-art facilities will be established across the state. The initiative would enable swift and appropriate action on complaints related to women’s safety.

• To curb drug-related crimes in Tamil Nadu and take stringent action against offenders, a total of 65 ‘Anti-Narcotic Task Force’ units will be established.