CM C Joseph Vijay takes charge, chairs first law and order meeting

Actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay assumed office as Tamil Nadu's 13th CM, holding a law and order review. He vowed transparency, accused the DMK of emptying the treasury, and approved free power and special task forces.

After assuming office on Sunday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay held a review meeting at the Secretariat on the law and order situation in the state. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary M Saikumar, Additional Chief Secretary to the Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, K Manivasan, Director General of Police, Sandeep Rai Rathore; P Senthilkumar, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister; G Lakshmi Priya, Secretary to the CM; Principal Secretary of the Public Department Rita Harish Thakkar, and senior police officials.

Vijay Vows 'New Era' of Transparent Governance

Earlier today, actor-turned politician Vijay officially assumed charge at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat at Fort George in Chennai, shortly after taking oath as the 13th Chief Minister of the state after securing a historic electoral victory for his party. Governor Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Vijay and nine ministers of his cabinet at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here.

After taking oath as Tamil Nadu CM, Vijay thanked the people of the State for placing their trust in him and called for a "new era" of governance based on secularism and social justice. "Come, let all of us together give Tamil Nadu a fresh new government. This is a new beginning, the start of a new era of secular, social justice," he said amid loud cheers from supporters and party workers.

Vijay expressed his will to run a "transparent government", noting that he would perform all actions "openly." He also accused the previous DMK government of emptying the state's treasury. "After reviewing everything, I intend to release a white paper to the people. I want my government to be a transparent government. That is the very first thing I want to do. As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, if I need to meet someone, I will not do it secretly or behind closed doors. Whatever I do, I will do openly and transparently. I request all of you to give me some time. I will gradually fulfil everything I have promised and will sincerely strive to implement them. This is your government. I will ensure strict safety for women," CM Vijay said.

Slams DMK Over State's Finances

Pointing out the 'poor financials' of the state, while blaming DMK, Vijay continued, "Today, the condition in which our Tamil Nadu government has been left is something I have seen for myself. The last government has gone out after borrowing debts of more than Rs 10 lakh crore; the treasury has been completely emptied before they left office. It is in such a situation that we have taken charge. I am not saying this for effect; only after going inside and seeing things firsthand can one understand what is there and what is not."

He further vowed not to use "people's money", emphasising that his primary focus would be to improve education, roads, drinking water facilities, and other essential services.

CM's First Actions: Free Power, Special Task Forces

The TVK chief also signed the first set of documents after taking the oath of Tamil Nadu CM, which gave nod to 200 units of free power supply and Special Task Forces to tackle drugs and ensure women's safety.

Historic Win Ends Decades-Long Political Dominance

The 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections marked a historic shift in state politics as TVK won 108 seats in its debut election, ending the decades-long dominance of the DMK and AIADMK formations. Popularly known as 'Thalapathy', Vijay's rise has drawn comparisons with former Chief Minister and actor MG Ramachandran. (ANI)

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