Wait ends, Vijay to be sworn in as Tamil Nadu CM on Sunday

TVK chief Vijay is set to take oath on Sunday at 10am at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai. The announcement from the Lok Bhavan came after the actor-turned-politician met the Tamil Nadu governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Saturday for the fourth time after garnering support from the VCK and the IUML to comfortably pass the majority mark.

"The Hon'ble Governor of Tamil Nadu has appointed Thiru C Joseph Vijay as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and invited him to form the Ministry," formal communication from the Lok Bhavan said.

It went on to add that the governor has directed the chief minister designate to seek the vote of confidence of the Assembly on or before 13th May, 2026.


Following the unconditional support of four more MLAs from the two parties, TVK president Vijay called on Tamil Nadu governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Saturday evening at the Lok Bhavan and presented proof of support from 120 MLAs. This is Vijay's fourth meeting with the governor and he was accompanied by leaders from the Congress and Communist parties.

The TVK won 108 seats and later received conditional support from the Congress for five seats. What seemed like a cakewalk for the party then became challenging owing to the VCK taking its time to confirm its support. On Friday, Vijay met the governor and staked his claim to form the government but soon after Arlekar said that the actor-turned-politician had failed to show requisite majority and had only furnished letters for 116 MLAs rather than 118.

On Saturday, the VCK, which was supposed to share its letter of support, said it would share its final decision later in the day. After a suspenseful day, the party offered its unconditional support in the evening. It is important to note that this happened only after VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan met longtime ally and DMK chief MK Stalin late on Friday night.

"This decision has been taken because the VCK should not become an obstacle to TVK leader Vijay forming the government, and also because President's Rule should not be imposed," Thirumavalavan said while addressing reporters on Saturday. "We are extending our support only for the formation of the government. There are no other conditions attached to it."

Both the Left parties too have pledged their support with two MLAs each. Like the VCK, they also made it clear that their support was limited to helping Vijay form the government and that they were aligned with their alliance partner on all other matters.