At 11:05 AM on 10 May 2026, inside a packed Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu wrote a new chapter in its political history. C. Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar — known to the world simply as Vijay, or Thalapathy — raised his right hand, spoke the constitutional oath, and became the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
It took exactly two years, three months, and eight days from the founding of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam on 2 February 2024. In that time, TVK went from a zero-seat party to a majority government — without a single allied seat in its first election. The speed and scale of it remains, as of this writing, without precedent in Indian democratic history for a first-election party.
The Oath — Key Facts
The Journey That Led Here
The story began not with ambition but with conviction. When Vijay announced TVK at a Chennai press conference on 2 February 2024, the political class was divided — between those who dismissed it as a celebrity vanity project, and those who understood that something genuinely different was happening.
TVK's founding principles — secularism, social justice, and a rejection of political dynasty — resonated differently than slogans usually do. Because the man speaking them had spent years using his cinema platform to address farmer suicides, women's safety, and political corruption. The credibility was built film by film, speech by speech, before a single politician believed he was serious.
Tamil Nadu chose change. Tamil Nadu chose TVK. And I will give every drop of my effort to honour that trust.
— CM Vijay · Oath ceremony address · 10 May 2026 · JN Indoor Stadium (Translated from Tamil)
The Election and the Mandate
The 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election — held on 23 April 2026 with a record 85.1% voter turnout — delivered a verdict that nobody, not even TVK's most optimistic supporters, had openly predicted: 108 seats in 234. A majority.
With alliance partners INC (5), VCK (2), IUML (2), CPI (2), and CPI(M) (2), the ruling coalition commanded 121 seats — a working majority that would pass the floor test on 13 May 2026 with 144 Ayes.
Every Chief Minister Before Him
To understand how historic this moment is, it helps to see it in the company of all who came before.
| # | Chief Minister | Party | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja | INC | 1952 |
| 2 | C. Rajagopalachari | INC | 1952 – 1954 |
| 3 | K. Kamaraj | INC | 1954 – 1963 |
| 4 | M. Bhakthavatsalam | INC | 1963 – 1967 |
| 5 | C. N. Annadurai | DMK | 1967 – 1969 |
| 6 | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan | DMK | 1969 (Acting) |
| 7 | M. Karunanidhi | DMK | 1969 – 1976, 1989 – 1991, 1996 – 2001, 2006 – 2011 |
| — | President's Rule | — | 1976 – 1977, 1988 – 1989, 1991 |
| 8 | M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) | AIADMK | 1977 – 1987 |
| 9 | V. N. Janaki Ramachandran | AIADMK | 1988 (Acting) |
| 10 | J. Jayalalithaa | AIADMK | 1991–1996, 2001–2006, 2011–2016 |
| 11 | O. Panneerselvam | AIADMK | 2001–2002, 2014–2015, 2016–2017 (Caretaker) |
| 12 | Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) | AIADMK | 2017 – 2021 |
| 13 | M. K. Stalin | DMK | 2021 – 2026 |
| 14 | C. Joseph Vijay · Thalapathy | TVKNow | 10 May 2026 – Present |
Day One — The Work Begins
CM Vijay did not savour the moment. Within hours of the ceremony, he was at Fort St. George signing three Government Orders — the free bus scheme expansion for women, the TASMAC closure order, and the farmer MSP revision. The message was clear and intentional: governance, not celebration.
- G.O. 1 — Free bus scheme expanded to all women across Tamil Nadu
- G.O. 2 — 717 TASMAC outlets ordered closed (first phase of prohibition reform)
- G.O. 3 — Farmer MSP revised: paddy ₹2,600/quintal · sugarcane ₹3,500/tonne
What I promised, I will deliver. Every single promise. The people gave us this government. The people will see results.
— CM Vijay · 10 May 2026 · Fort St. George, Chennai
Note on quotes: Speeches cited in this article were delivered in Tamil. Quotes shown are translated and paraphrased from Tamil press reports. Exact wording may vary. VettriThalapathy.com is a fan tribute site — not an official news source.