Tamil Nadu CM oath ceremony: Vijay arrives at Chennai venue, set to take oath shortly; Rahul Gandhi on way

After four days of political uncertainty, Tamil Nadu has clarity on government formation, with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief C Joseph Vijay formally invited to form the government after securing majority support from multiple parties.

Vijay, popularly known as “Thalapathy”, is set to take oath as Tamil Nadu chief minister at 10 am on Sunday, marking a historic political milestone as the first leader since 1967 to occupy the post without belonging to either the DMK or the AIADMK.

The TVK chief has secured the backing of 120 MLAs, comfortably crossing the 118-seat majority mark in the 234-member Assembly.

The final push came on Saturday after the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) extended unconditional support with two MLAs each. Earlier, support from the Congress, CPI and CPI(M) had already strengthened TVK’s numbers.

Though these parties have backed Vijay, they have opted to remain outside the formal alliance.

Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar extended the formal invitation after Vijay submitted letters of support from allied parties at Lok Bhavan.

In an official statement, Raj Bhavan said Vijay had informed the Governor of his election as leader of the TVK Legislature Party.

The Governor directed the chief minister-designate to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly by May 13, 2026. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at Chennai’s Nehru Stadium on Sunday at 10 am.

Saturday’s meeting was Vijay’s fourth with the Governor in four days, with earlier rounds ending without an invitation as Raj Bhavan sought clarity on numbers.

The breakthrough came after Vijay presented consolidated support letters, accompanied by senior TVK leaders KA Sengottaiyan and Aadhav Arjuna.

The political equation shifted dramatically this week after the Congress ended its long-standing alliance with the DMK and extended support to TVK, helping Vijay stitch together the numbers required to form government.

With the invitation now formalised, all eyes are on Sunday’s oath-taking ceremony and the trust vote that will determine the durability of Tamil Nadu’s new political arrangement.