C. Joseph Vijay took the oath of office as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10, 2026 [1].
This transition marks a historic shift in the region's political landscape. For the first time in six decades, the state is governed by an administration that is neither DMK nor AIADMK [2].
Vijay, chairman of the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), received a guard of honor before taking charge at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat [3]. Reports on the ceremony's location vary, with some sources saying the event occurred at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat while others cite the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai [3, 4].
Alongside the new chief minister, nine ministers were sworn into the cabinet [4]. The newly formed team includes members of Vijay's core leadership group [2]. Following the official proceedings, Vijay posed for a selfie and photographs with senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his cabinet members to signal cooperation between the new government and the opposition [3, 4].
Immediate policy priorities were signaled through the first set of official files. The new administration announced the provision of 200 units of free power supply [5].
Family members were also in attendance during the proceedings. Reports indicate that Vijay's parents, SA Chandrasekhar and Shoba Chandrasekhar, were present at the ceremony [3].
“The first non‑DMK/non‑AIADMK administration in six decades.”
The ascent of C. Joseph Vijay and the TVK breaks a long-standing bipartisan hegemony in Tamil Nadu. By publicly aligning with Rahul Gandhi during the swearing-in ceremony, Vijay is signaling a strategic openness to national coalitions while simultaneously implementing populist economic measures, such as free electricity, to solidify his domestic mandate.
