LIVE! 17th TN Assembly convenes tomorrow; Udhayanidhi to be Leader of Opposition

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at the sprawling Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai today (May 10).

Vijay recommended a list of nine individuals for appointment as ministers in the state cabinet. The list includes N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, Dr KG Arunraj, KA Sengottaiyan, P Venkataramanan, R Nirmalkumar, Rajmohan, Dr TK Prabhu, and Selvi S Keerthana.

The government has been formed after extensive discussions with smaller parties, which were intent on keeping both the BJP and AIADMK out of the state’s power structure.

Once sworn in, 51-year-old C Joseph Vijay will become the first leader outside the DMK and AIADMK camps to head the Tamil Nadu government since 1967.

Also read | How Vijay glided effortlessly from Kodambakkam to Fort St George

The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is attending the swearing-in ceremony.

Power transition in Tamil Nadu

This development follows Vijay’s meeting with Tamil Nadu Governor RV Arlekar at Lok Bhavan on Saturday after his party secured the majority required to form the government.

Capping days of hectic parleying to shore up numbers to usher in the first non-DMK, non-AIADMDK government in nearly 70 years, Vijay finally managed to secure the support of four MLAs of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Saturday.

He then headed to the Lok Bhavan for his fourth meeting with Governor Arlekar in as many days to discuss government formation, before the latter appointed Vijay as CM and invited him to form ministry.

The VCK and IUML extended “unconditional support,” to Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. However, DMK's allies, including the VCK, have made it clear that they continue to be part of the Dravidian party-led alliance.

VCK support changes equation

The suspense over government formation ended when the Thol Thirumavalavan-led VCK, which has two seats, finally extended support after keeping the TVK on tenterhooks and the political circles abuzz over its stand over the last two days.

VCK, a long-time ally of the Left parties who had extended their support to Vijay on Friday, had earlier announced its decision would be in sync with their stand. Shortly after VCK's decision to back Vijay, another DMK ally, the IUML also extended support to TVK. IUML has two MLAs.

Also read | Understanding the Vijay phenomenon in Tamil Nadu politics

With the two small parties' support, the numbers in favour of TVK rose to 120, just two more than the simple majority mark of 118 in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Vijay, who has won from two segments, Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli East, has to resign from one of them, bringing down the party's strength to 107. The number of MLAs from parties supporting the TVK-- Congress (5) and the CPI, CPI (M), VCK and IUML with two MLAs each, stands at 13.

The Congress has ended its alliance with DMK but the others have said they continue in the Dravidian-party lead alliance.

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