PM Modi calls Tamil Nadu CM Vijay, congratulates him on oath-taking
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, 10 May personally telephoned Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief C. Joseph Vijay to congratulate him on being sworn in as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, extending warm wishes for a smooth and productive tenure. The call came even as Modi was in the midst of a whirlwind tour of three states, underscoring the political significance of the moment.
The Swearing-In Ceremony
C. Joseph Vijay was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at a grand ceremony held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Sunday morning. Nine ministers were also sworn in alongside Vijay as part of the new council of ministers, marking the formal start of the TVK government.
The 51-year-old leader, widely known by his screen name 'Thalaiva', had entered electoral politics just a year prior and secured a landslide victory in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections — a result that few political observers had anticipated at such speed.
A Historic Political Shift in Tamil Nadu
Vijay's elevation as Tamil Nadu's 13th Chief Minister marks a seismic shift in the state's political landscape, ending nearly six decades of alternating dominance between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). The TVK's rise represents the first successful challenge to that duopoly in the state's post-Independence history.
Notably, Vijay's transition from celebrated film star to Chief Minister in under a year is without precedent in Tamil Nadu's modern political history, drawing comparisons to the early careers of M. G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa — though both took far longer to ascend to the top office.
PM Modi's Social Media Message
Earlier on Sunday, before the telephone call, Prime Minister Modi had also posted a congratulatory message on social media platform X, publicly reaffirming the Centre's intent to collaborate with the new state government.
