C Joseph Vijay introduced himself as a “common man” in his first public address after taking oath in Chennai on Saturday.
He emphasised that he does not come from any royal lineage, adding that this background was a key reason, in his view, for public acceptance, reports NDTV.
Vijay, 51, said he would not mislead people with false assurances and pledged to usher in what he described as “an era of real, secular, social justice”. He also appealed to citizens to allow him sufficient time to demonstrate his government’s performance.
He further declared, “There will be no power centre other than me. I will be the only centre of power,” while also acknowledging being addressed affectionately as “Mama” and “Thambi”. The remark appeared intended to reassure that the TVK-led administration would not be influenced by coalition pressures or external demands.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the new chief minister and assured that the Centre would continue cooperating with the state government to improve public welfare and development outcomes.
In his election affidavit, Vijay had declared a total net worth of Rs 624 crore, including Rs 213 crore in savings accounts and Rs 100 crore invested in fixed deposits across various banks.
He also said he would consider releasing a white paper on the state’s finances to ensure transparency before moving ahead with major policy decisions.
His newly formed cabinet comprises nine ministers, blending experienced politicians with younger representatives, with key members of the TVK leadership included in the core team.
In his first administrative actions, Vijay approved two major measures: 200 units of free electricity for domestic consumers and the creation of a special force dedicated to women’s safety.
The cabinet features veteran leader KA Sengottaiyan alongside younger appointees such as TK Prabhu and S Keerthana. Other TVK members sworn in include Aadhav Arjuna, N Anand, R Nirmal Kumar and KG Arunraj.
Notably, no representative from Rahul Gandhi’s Congress party which had earlier supported TVK in its bid to secure a majority has been included in the new Tamil Nadu cabinet.
