Actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay on Jattvibeday took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, marking a dramatic political shift in the Dravidian heartland and ending the decades-long dominance of the DMK and the AIADMK in the state. The swearing-in ceremony, attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several film personalities, signalled the arrival of the first non-DMK, non-AIADMK government in nearly six decades.Soon after assuming office, Vijay moved swiftly to underline his government’s priorities, signing files granting 200 units of free electricity for domestic consumers, approving the creation of a special women’s safety force and ordering the formation of anti-drug trafficking units across the state.Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Vijay on social media and said the Centre would continue working with the Tamil Nadu Government for the welfare of the people. “Congratulations to Thiru C Joseph Vijay upon assuming the office of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Best wishes for his tenure to be an outstanding one. The Central Government will continue to work in partnership with the Tamil Nadu Government to improve the lives of the people,” the PM wrote on X. The PM also had a telephonic conversation with Vijay and congratulated him on taking the oath of office on Jattvibeday.Rahul also congratulated Vijay and said, “Tamil Nadu has chosen. A new generation. A new voice. A new imagination. My good wishes to Thiru Vijay — may he fulfil the hopes of the people of Tamil Nadu.” The oath-taking ceremony at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium turned into a massive show of political theatre and fanfare, with thousands of supporters cheering for the man long celebrated as “Thalapathy” in Tamil cinema. Governor RV Arlekar administered the oath to Vijay and his nine-member Cabinet, which included veteran leader KA Sengottaiyan alongside younger faces such as TK Prabhu and S Keerthana.Unlike the conventional white veshti-and-shirt attire associated with Tamil Nadu politics, Vijay appeared in a blazer over a white shirt and dark trousers, while several of his ministers too departed from the traditional political dress code. The visual shift appeared carefully crafted to project a generational and political break from the past.In his maiden address as the Chief Minister, Vijay sought to position himself as an ordinary man who had risen through struggle rather than privilege. He said he did not come from a political dynasty and described himself as someone born into a modest family, recalling that his father worked as an assistant film director who fought hard to succeed in cinema.Declaring that his government would have “only one power centre”, Vijay asserted that there would be no parallel authority structures within the administration. In a pointed political message, he said there would be no hidden centres of influence operating behind the government.He also promised what he described as a “new era” rooted in secularism, social justice and transparent governance. Stressing that he would not mislead people with unrealistic promises, Vijay, while accusing the previous DMK-led government, said the financial condition of the state was under severe strain and claimed Tamil Nadu was carrying a debt burden of over Rs 10 lakh crore.The new Chief Minister said his government would first assess the fiscal situation in detail and release a white paper before moving ahead with major policy decisions. He appealed to the public to give his administration time to fulfil its commitments in a phased manner.On law and order, Vijay said his government would act firmly against drug abuse and ensure stronger protection for women and children. He also promised action against corruption, declaring that he would neither misuse public money nor tolerate wrongdoing within his government.He said welfare measures for women, youth, farmers, fishermen, government employees and workers would remain central to the TVK government’s agenda.The ceremony also carried strong emotional and cinematic undertones. Vijay’s parents, filmmaker SA Chandrasekhar and Shobha Chandrasekhar, were seen visibly emotional during the event, while actor Trisha Krishnan and several members of the film fraternity attended the swearing-in.