Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and its legislature party leader Joseph Vijay on Sunday took oath as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, marking the arrival of a new government in the state after days of political suspense over government formation.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the presence of political leaders, including LoP Rahul Gandhi.
In his first address, Vijay said he was not from any royal lineage and that people welcomed and accepted him. He said he will not deceive people with false promises.
A fresh, new governance has started and a new era of real, secular, social justice starts now, he added.
Vijay's parents-- S A Chandrasekhar and Shobha, top actor Trisha and a whole lot of invitees attended the ceremony at the sprawling Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium.
His first signatures on government files were to provide 200 units free electricity for domestic consumers, creating a special force for women's safety.
Among the prominent faces in the cabinet who will take oath in Chennai is veteran AIADMK leader KA Sengottaiyan, who has worked closely with former chief ministers MGR and Jayalalithaa over decades.
Nirmal Kumar, who won from Thiruparankundram in Madurai, is set to join the cabinet. A former BJP functionary, Nirmal Kumar switched political camps and emerged as an important face for TVK in southern Tamil Nadu.
TVK General Secretary Anand, known for his strong grassroots network, will also take oath.
Among the other ministers to be sworn in are Raj Mohan, a television and film personality known for his oratory skills, and Dr TK Prabhu, a dentist-turned-politician who secured victory from Karaikudi.
The youngest face in the cabinet will be Keerthana, who won from Virudhunagar district and is now set to become one of the youngest ministers in Tamil Nadu politics.
Meanwhile, Arlekar has approved chief minister-designate Vijay’s recommendation for the appointment of nine ministers, according to a release issued by Lok Bhavan.
The new Cabinet will include one woman minister, S Keerthana.
“C Joseph Vijay, Chief Minister-designate has recommended a list of nine persons to be appointed as Ministers on May 9. The Governor has approved the recommendation regarding the appointment of the ministers,” the release said.
Vijay received support from the Congress, a DMK ally which has five MLAs, and met Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Wednesday, staking claim to form the government. He, however, was told that he needed more support.
After holding discussions with other parties, the actor-politician met the governor again on Thursday but could not convince him that he has the numbers to form the government.
"During the meeting, the Hon'ble Governor explained that the requisite majority support in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, essential for forming the government, has not been established," Lok Bhavan said in a statement after the meeting.
In a major boost to his efforts to form a government, Vijay received the support of the two Left parties -- the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) -- on Friday, which had won two seats each.
Since Vijay was elected from two constituencies and will have to vacate one seat, the alliance's total stands at 120 MLAs.