Free bus travel, breakfast for 15 lakh more children, a gold ring for newborns, the Singappen women’s safety force and crop-loan relief: CM Vijay’s first five months put people-centred governance first.
Five months. A new political chapter. One promise at the centre of it all: public service.
When C. Joseph Vijay took oath as Chief Minister on May 10, 2026, expectations were enormous. Millions had followed his journey from cinema to politics, and the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government arrived promising a different kind of governance.
The question was simple: could the leader who built an extraordinary bond with people through cinema carry that bond into government? Five months on, his administration has launched or expanded welfare schemes that touch every stage of daily life. The long-term impact will take time to measure, but the early agenda gives people many reasons to believe that public service is the defining feature of his leadership.
For Vijay, the challenge is no longer winning people’s hearts. It is proving, every day, that their trust was well placed.
Under the Vettri Payanam scheme, launched on Gandhi Jayanti, free travel for women, girls and transgender persons was extended from city ordinary buses to Express, LSS, Deluxe, mofussil and long-distance ghat buses. The Transport Minister later said it would also cover all differently-abled persons.
For a woman going to work, a student travelling to college or someone visiting a hospital, every rupee saved on fares is money for food, education and health. The scheme builds on an existing policy; the big change is how much wider access has become. Good governance is often felt in small, everyday moments.
On September 22, the Chief Minister extended the breakfast scheme to Classes 6, 7 and 8 in government and government-aided schools, renaming it the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme. About 15.30 lakh more students now get a free hot breakfast — 34.64 lakh in all, from Class 1 to Class 8.
A good breakfast helps children arrive ready to learn, and helps families on tight budgets. The government has also launched the ₹2,000 crore Vetri Laptop Scheme in its first Budget. Together, they say that a child’s education should not depend on family income.
Under the Thaimaaman Thanga Mothira Thittam, every child born in a government hospital receives a one-gram gold ring, with ₹755.83 crore set aside. The name draws on the thaai maaman, the maternal uncle, who holds a special ceremonial place in a Tamil child’s life.
By linking welfare to a familiar tradition, the scheme makes the government’s presence felt at one of the most important moments in a family’s life.
The government created the Singappen Athiradi Padai, an all-women special force for women’s safety, and set up anti-narcotics task forces in every police district from Day 1, alongside anti-gang enforcement.
Women deserve to travel safely, work without fear and take full part in public life. Making their safety a front-line priority — measured by faster response, prevention and support for victims — is one of the most important commitments a government can make.
Within days of taking office, the government ordered the closure of 717 TASMAC outlets near schools, places of worship and bus stands — a long-standing concern of families turned into a government decision.
Cooperative crop loans of up to ₹75,000 have been fully waived, giving farming families room to buy seeds and fertiliser for the next season. Under the Annapoorani Super Six scheme, 1.30 crore families will get three free LPG cylinders a year from Pongal 2027.
The principle is simple: the needs of ordinary households belong at the centre of public policy.
Policies explain part of a government’s work. They do not fully explain the emotional bond between a leader and the people.
That bond is a powerful asset — and a responsibility. The best way to keep it is to make sure people feel improvements in their lives, not just enthusiasm at rallies.
Tamil Nadu has a long welfare tradition, and several of these schemes build on earlier programmes. The real difference lies in what Vijay chooses to prioritise, how quickly his government acts, and how well it delivers. His government has combined existing schemes with new initiatives carrying TVK’s own identity — all while managing tight finances, public safety and Centre–state relations.
A leader does not become different simply by taking office. A leader becomes different by what changes for the people after taking office.
Vijay’s journey from actor to Chief Minister is one of the most striking political stories of 2026 in Tamil Nadu. His popularity gave him a platform; his victory gave him responsibility. These five months show his priorities — not the final verdict. The next stage calls for transparent reporting, efficient delivery, financial discipline, job creation and stronger public services.
In five months, the government has widened free bus travel, fed more schoolchildren, given newborns a gold ring, created a women’s safety force, and brought relief to farmers and families. The harder work now is making sure every benefit reaches the right people and every promise becomes a reliable service.
Lasting trust will depend on whether a student can keep studying, a woman can travel safely, a family can manage its expenses, a farmer can recover from debt, and a citizen can approach the government and get a fair hearing.
Continue the service. Protect the trust. Deliver the promises. Let the people’s lives be the strongest evidence of leadership.
Analysis Welfare Governance Five Months Day 155