chief minister of tamil nadu C Joseph Vijay took office on Sunday, starting with a series of political, administrative and symbolic moves.
Events starting from the oath-taking ceremony include his impromptu moments, his first law and order review meeting at the secretariat, welfare announcements, appointment of interim Speaker and the controversy over etiquette at the oath-taking event.
Vijay officially assumed office after leading the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to a historic victory in the 2026 assembly elections.
Vijay goes off script
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay sought to transform his swearing-in ceremony into a broader political statement after briefly deviating from the official text of his swearing-in at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.“I will adhere to the rule of law, do things honestly, eliminate hatred, and work honestly for people from all walks of life. I swear to God, I swear. He raised his right hand and made it into a fist. His move drew loud cheers from party workers and supporters.However, the Alka governor intervened and asked Vijay to read only the official text of the oath. Vijay then sought clarification from the governor and completed the oath based on the written document provided to him.
tamil song controversy
The Communist Party of India criticized Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony and objected to the order of songs played during government functions.CPI state secretary M Veerapandian questioned why “Tamil Thai Vaazhthu” was not given priority during the event.“Tamil invocations must always be given priority in Tamil Nadu government functions. Tamil Nadu Vitri Kazhagam should ensure that what happened during the oath-taking ceremony is not repeated in future,” he said.Veerapandian said that it is the practice in Tamil Nadu to start official programs with “Tamil Thai Vaazhthu” and end with the national anthem. He also objected to the inclusion of ‘Vande Mataram’ before the Tamil invocation.
Vijay holds secretariat meeting
After assuming office, Vijay chaired the first review meeting at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat to discuss the law and order situation in the state.The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary M Saikumar, Principal Secretary Home, Prohibition Department K Manivasan, Inspector General of Police Sandeep Rai Rathore, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister P Senthilkumar, Secretary to the Chief Minister G Lakshmi Priya, Principal Secretary Public Sector Rita Harish Thakkar and senior police officers.He called for a “new era” of secular, transparent governance, announced the upcoming white paper on the country’s finances, claimed that the previous government left behind a debt of 10 billion rupees and an empty treasury, and prioritized education, infrastructure, water and women’s safety, while approving 200 liberal power units and task forces on drugs and women’s safety.
17th tamil nadu assembly scheduled
The Tamil Nadu Assembly Secretariat has announced that the first meeting of the 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly will be held on Monday, May 11, at 9:30 am at the Assembly Hall in Chennai.Newly elected MLAs will be sworn in during the meeting.According to official sources, the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, May 12 at 9:30 am.
Tamil Nadu appoints former DMK MLA as interim Speaker
Newly elected TVK MLA MV Karuppaiah was sworn in as the interim Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly by Governor Arlekar in the presence of Chief Minister Vijay.Karuppaiah, who was elected from Sholavandan constituency, will administer the oath-taking ceremony to the newly elected MLAs.An official press release from the Parliament Secretariat also said that Vijay had resigned from the Tiruchirappalli East Assembly constituency before assuming office and retained the Perampur seat.