Vijay to take oath as Chief Minister tomorrow

Actor-turned-politician Vijay is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on May 7 after his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), emerged as the single-largest party in the Assembly elections with 108 seats, according to ANI. The party, however, remains short of the majority mark.

The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai. Despite its strong debut, TVK is 10 seats short of the 118 needed to form a government in the 234-member Assembly and is yet to finalise its alliance strategy.

Party sources told ANI that TVK has begun discussions with potential allies to secure the numbers required for government formation. The party is likely to seek support from smaller parties, including the Congress, PMK, Left parties, CPM and VCK, to cross the majority threshold.

Reacting to the possibility of an alliance, Congress leader Girish Chodankar said the party leadership would take a final call. “The people of Tamil Nadu voted for change. Especially youngsters and women have backed TVK, which explains the numbers. I have submitted my report to our leadership,” he said.

TVK has also sought time from Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar to meet him as part of the government formation process, ANI reported.

Marking a strong electoral debut, TVK’s performance has reshaped the political landscape in the state, with the party now focused on securing the required support to stake a claim to power.

Meanwhile, the TVK chief thanked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the likely partner for the formation of a government, despite having only 5 seats to offer. Vijay wrote on X, "My sincere thanks to the Honourable Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha for the call and kind wishes! We shall remain committed to excellence in public service and preserving the cultural ethos of our state, which requires collective cooperation. Beyond politics, we shall prioritise the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu."

He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating, "Thank you, Hon'ble @PMOIndia, for your greetings. The well-being of our people remains our only goal. Transcending politics, we shall focus on the State's progress and the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu. We look forward to the Union Government’s support in this endeavour."

He made this statement while responding to Modi's tweet in which the Prime Minister wrote, “Congratulations to TVK and Thiru Vijay on their impressive performance in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. I wish them the very best in their service to the people of the state.”

-Wion