Tamil Nadu govt suspense ends: Vijay to take oath as Chief Minister at 10 am on Sunday

The political uncertainty in Tamil Nadu finally ended on Saturday evening after C. Joseph Vijay, president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar in Chennai and formally staked claim to form the next government with the backing of 120 MLAs in the 234-member Assembly.

Vijay, who has been named Chief Minister-designate, is scheduled to take oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday at 10 am at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. Nine ministers are also expected to be sworn in alongside him.

The meeting marked Vijay’s fourth interaction with the Governor within four days amid intense post-election political negotiations.

Earlier in the day, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) extended unconditional support to TVK, helping the party cross the majority mark required to form the government.

Vijay was accompanied during the meeting by leaders from the Indian National Congress, VCK, CPI(M), CPI and IUML.

Earlier on Saturday, the actor-turned-politician formally staked claim to form the next state government after his party secured crucial support from allied parties to cross the majority mark in the Assembly.

The breakthrough came after the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) announced its support for TVK, enabling the Vijay-led alliance to surpass the required figure of 118 MLAs in the 234-member Assembly.

Following the announcement, Vijay met Governor-in-Charge Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Raj Bhavan in Chennai to formally submit his claim to form the government. The meeting marked Vijay’s fourth interaction with the Governor in as many days amid intense post-election negotiations.

Tamil Nadu voted in a single-phase Assembly election on 23 April, with the contest witnessing a fierce battle among the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), and TVK.

The results, declared on 4 May, saw TVK emerge as the single-largest party with 108 seats, though it initially fell short of a simple majority.

In the days following the verdict, TVK held discussions with smaller parties and independent legislators in a bid to secure enough support to form the government. The Communist Party of India (CPI) and the CPI(M) had already extended their backing, while political attention remained focused on the VCK’s decision.

With the VCK and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) now formally supporting TVK, the alliance is understood to command the support of around 120 legislators.

TVK general secretary Aadhav Arjuna later displayed documents of support before the media and declared that Vijay would soon take oath as the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

The rapid political developments sparked celebrations among TVK supporters across the state, while attention shifted to Raj Bhavan as observers awaited the Governor’s decision on inviting Vijay to form the government.

With IANS inputs