Bihar Minister Deepak Prakash congratulated TVK on its 2026 Tamil Nadu poll performance. TVK chief Chandrasekhar Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the 13th CM after the party won 108 seats, ousting the legacy Dravidian parties from power.
Bihar Minister Deepak Prakash on Sunday extended his best wishes to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) following its performance in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The 31-year-old BJP leader said that the electorate's choices across various states have delivered a clear message to the Opposition. Noting that election results serve as an indicator of the diminishing influence of the Opposition, he claimed that the INDI alliance has failed to gain traction with the voters. Prakash said, "Best wishes to TVK. May the govt work with stability and fulfil the public demands...the INDI alliance has been seeing the results in elections..."
Vijay takes oath as 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Earlier today Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar swore in TVK chief Chandrasekhar Joseph Vijay as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at a grand ceremony held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Vijay's parents, SA Chandrasekhar and Sobha Chandrasekhar, and actress Trisha Krishnan were among those present at the ceremony.
New Cabinet Ministers Sworn In
Along with Vijay, nine TVK leaders also took oath as ministers in the party's maiden cabinet. The ministers included N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, KA Sengottaiyan, KG Arunraj, P Venkataramanan, R Nirmalkumar, Rajmohan, TK Prabhu and S Keerthana.
Ahead of the ceremony, Vijay personally welcomed Governor Arlekar and introduced him to the ministers-designate.
Historic Mandate in 2026 Elections
The 2026 Tamil Nadu elections were registered in history books after the state declared an unprecedented mandate for Vijay. While TVK ended up winning 108 out of 234 seats in its maiden political stint, it was for the first time in the history of state politics that both legacy 'Dravidian' parties were ousted from power. However, Vijay couldn't attain majority on its own and was later offered support by Congress (5), CPI-M (2), CPI (2), VCK (2) and IUML (2), which were earlier the allies of Secular Progressive Alliance led by DMK.
The Rise of 'Thalapathy' Vijay
Vijay, often referred to as the 'Thalapathy', showed a crowd-pulling ability in the election rallies, which many compared to actor-turned-politician and former CM MG Ramachandran. While Tamil Nadu has had a long history of actors entering and conquering politics, the State awaited another star to step up in the line after Captain Vijayakanth. He has also embraced his Christian identity while being outspoken about secular politics.
Although the TVK was launched in 2024, he has been looked at as a social worker and has not been apolitical, given his films, which dealt with drug menace, corruption and other socio-political issues. While there has been speculation of him entering politics since 2009, Vijay has involved himself in social work.
In the 2026 elections, he won two seats, Perambur and Trichy East, and earlier today resigned from Trichy East seat.
First Assembly Session Summoned
The 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has been summoned to meet for its first session at 9.30 AM on Monday, May 11th May in the Legislative Assembly Chamber, Secretariat, Chennai. The newly elected Members will take the oath on that day. The election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly will be held on May 12, an official release from the State Assembly Secretariat.
Pro Tem Speaker Appointed
Meanwhile, TVK leader MV Karuppaiah MV was sworn in as the Pro Tem Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly by Governor Arlekar in the presence of CM Vijay. (ANI)
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