New Delhi: Actor-turned-politician and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief C Joseph Vijay is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday after successfully crossing the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly. However, the real challenge for the Vijay-led government will come on May 13, when it faces a crucial floor test in the Assembly.
Vijay formally staked claim to form the government after meeting Governor RV Arlekar at Lok Bhavan in Chennai on Saturday. The Governor accepted the claim and directed the new government to prove its majority on the floor of the House on or before May 13.
The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to take place at Chennai’s Nehru Stadium at 10 am, with several opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, likely to attend the event.
#WATCH | TVK Chief Vijay meets Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the Lok Bhavan.
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2026
With the support of Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML, 121 MLAs are now in support of TVK, and its path to form a government in the state is now clear.
(Source: Lok Bhavan) pic.twitter.com/Tbck1TrAKJ
TVK had emerged as the single-largest party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections but initially fell short of the majority mark of 118 seats. The political uncertainty continued for days as rival camps scrambled for support.
The deadlock ended after Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML extended support to Vijay, taking the TVK-led bloc’s strength to around 120-121 MLAs in the Assembly.
According to reports, VCK’s decision to offer “unconditional support” proved decisive in helping Vijay secure the numbers needed to form the government.
#UPDATE | The time for the oath ceremony of Tamil Nadu CM-designate Vijay has been changed to 10 am tomorrow, 10th May. https://t.co/hHRLN7ewWO pic.twitter.com/ABRKwP8k3T
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2026
The road to government formation witnessed intense political drama over the last few days, with questions being raised over whether TVK could demonstrate stable majority support.
Reports said the Governor was initially unconvinced about the numbers presented by TVK and sought clear proof of majority backing before inviting Vijay to form the government.
By Saturday evening, after additional support letters were submitted by allies including VCK and IUML, the Governor cleared the path for Vijay’s swearing-in.
“The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has been appointed by the Governor, Thiru C. Joseph Vijay, and he has been invited to establish the Ministry”. The Governor has instructed the Chief Minister designate to obtain the Assembly's vote of confidence by May 13, 2026, or sooner. “The inauguration ceremony will take place at Nehru Stadium, Chennai on 10th May 2026 at 10 am", the announcement stated.
Despite the swearing-in, the Vijay government’s stability will ultimately depend on the May 13 floor test, which is expected to be closely watched amid Tamil Nadu’s rapidly shifting political equations.
The trust vote will determine whether the first-time CM can successfully convert his post-poll support into a stable government in the Assembly.
