Vijay Sworn In as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister After Coalition Deal

Vijay, leader of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), was sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday at Chennai's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, becoming the state's first non-DMK, non-AIADMK leader to hold the post in nearly six decades. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath in the presence of family members, party leaders, and political dignitaries.

Nine TVK leaders were inducted as cabinet ministers, including KA Sengottaiyan, former BJP functionary CTR Nirmal Kumar, and 28-year-old S Keerthana, the youngest minister. The TVK won 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly, falling short of the 118-mark majority, but secured support from Congress (5 MLAs), CPI and CPI-M (2 each), and later from VCK and IUML, bringing the alliance total to 120.

Vijay met the Governor four times over five days, presenting written assurances of support from alliance partners on Saturday evening. The Governor named him Chief Minister after being satisfied with the numerical strength of the coalition. Vijay must now prove majority on the floor of the Assembly on or before May 13.