Thalapathy Vijay takes oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister

The Chief Minister's post in Tamil Nadu, the Indian state closest to Sri Lanka, has undergone a revolutionary political change starting today. C., the founder and president of the Tamil Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) party.

Joseph Vijay, popularly known as 'Thalapathy' among many, was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10, 2026, at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.

This historic turning point, marking the end of the rule of the powerful Dravidian parties DMK and AIADMK, which dominated Tamil Nadu politics for nearly five decades, is considered a unique milestone in Indian political history. This is the first non-Dravidian led government to emerge after 1967, and he also became the first film actor to assume the highest executive office in Tamil Nadu since M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) became Chief Minister in 1977. Vijay was sworn in around 10:00 AM before Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, and a small cabinet of 8-9 members, comprising both politically experienced and new members, was appointed in the initial phase. A host of popular stars like Atlee, G.V. Prakash, and Sibi Sathyaraj, along with a massive crowd, gathered to celebrate this occasion.

The TVK party, launched on February 2, 2024, managed to become the largest single party in the state by winning 108 out of 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu state elections held on April 23, 2026. They secured nearly 35 percent of the votes, which is over 1.6 crore votes, and notably, former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin even lost his Kolathur constituency. Here, the DMK party won 59 seats and the AIADMK party won 47 seats, while the remaining seats were distributed among smaller parties like the Indian National Congress (INC), IUML, CPI, and CPI(M). The TVK party managed to win 20 out of 22 seats in Chennai, and Vijay, who contested from both Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East constituencies, easily won both. Overcoming a brief crisis due to the lack of a single majority (118 seats), he was able to form a new government by surpassing the 120-seat mark with the support of the Congress, Left parties (CPI/CPI(M)), VCK, and IUML.

Chandrasekhar Joseph Vijay, born on June 22, 1974, in Chennai, is the son of veteran film director S.A. Chandrasekhar and playback singer Shobha Chandrasekhar. He studied visual communication at Loyola College but later dropped out to pursue acting. Entering cinema as a child artist in 1984, he later became one of the biggest superstars in Tamil cinema, starring in over 60-70 films, including 'Ghilli', 'Thuppakki', 'Mersal', 'Bigil', 'Master', and his final film 'Jananaayagan', released in 2026. Many social and political messages, such as corruption, GST taxes, electoral fraud, and water issues, were consistently conveyed through his films, serving as a clear precursor to his actual political entry. Married to Sangeetha Sornalingam, he is the father of two children, Jason Sanjay and Divya Sasha.

Since around 2009, he built a massive social welfare network through his fan club, 'Vijay Makkal Iyakkam', providing relief, education, and other assistance. In early 2024, he officially retired from cinema to dedicate himself full-time to public service. His new government, founded on electoral promises and policies of corruption-free governance, welfare schemes, job creation, education, and safeguarding Tamil pride, must demonstrate its majority in the assembly by May 13. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Stalin has promised to provide a productive and constructive opposition to the new government. However, fulfilling the high expectations of a voter base largely composed of fans, managing a coalition government, emerging from the Dravidian political legacy, and governing a state with complex social dynamics are the main challenges facing the new Chief Minister.