CHENNAI | May 10, 2026 | 2:00 PM–C. Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday at a grand ceremony held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.
The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar in the presence of senior political leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, and thousands of enthusiastic TVK supporters.
In his first address as Chief Minister, Vijay said he did not come from a royal or political lineage, but was accepted and supported by the people. He pledged to deliver honest governance and said he would not mislead the public with false promises.
“A fresh and new governance has started. A new era of real, secular and social justice begins now,” Vijay said.
Soon after assuming office, the new Chief Minister cleared several key files, including free electricity supply of up to 200 units, the formation of a women’s protection force, and the establishment of anti-drug squads in every district.
Vijay also promised a clean and transparent administration, while addressing the state’s reported debt burden of nearly Rs 10 lakh crore. He announced that a white paper on the state’s finances would be released soon.
The Chief Minister assured the public that his government would prioritise women’s safety, education, road safety, drinking water facilities, and efforts to eliminate the drug menace.
He also warned members of his Cabinet against corruption and misuse of power, stressing that there would be no multiple power centres in his administration.
Several ministers were also sworn in alongside Vijay, including veteran leader K. A. Sengottaiyan and TVK leaders Aadhav Arjuna, N. Anand, K. G. Arunraj, T. K. Prabhu and S. Keerthana.
Credit: THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
