"Assembly Must Be Heart and Brain of Democracy": Tamil Nadu CM Vijay

In his maiden speech, TVK leader and Chief Minister Vijay asserted that the House must function as both the 'heart and the brain' of democracy. He stated that it was with this specific vision that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) proposed J.C.D. Prabhakar to preside over the Assembly, ensuring the House remains a space where every voice is accorded equal importance and value.

"Here, everyone is equal. Even parties represented by a single member in this House must have their views valued equally alongside those expressed by the members of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, who hold a larger mandate. Good suggestions must be accepted, and unsuitable ones rejected. This Assembly must function as both the heart and the brain of democracy. It is with this vision that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has proposed a distinguished individual of great dignity and historic stature to preside over this esteemed Assembly, and today you occupy that Chair," said CM Vijay.

Earlier, in one of the biggest early governance decisions of the TVK government, Chief Minister Vijay directed officials to shut down TASMAC liquor retail outlets functioning within a 500-metre radius of places of worship, educational institutions and bus stations within two weeks.

According to an official release, the TASMAC currently operates 4,765 liquor shops across the state, of which 717 were found violating the specified distance norms according to a survey ordered by the Chief Minister.

The government said the closures include 276 outlets near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions and 255 near bus stands. The decision is significant because TASMAC remains one of Tamil Nadu's biggest revenue-generating systems, even as demands for liquor shop closures have echoed across party lines for years.

"With the welfare of the general public in mind, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay, has issued orders to close within two weeks 717 retail liquor shops situated within a 500-metre radius of places of worship, educational institutions and bus stands," the government release stated.

Meanwhile, the TVK government continued consolidating support in the Assembly amid a fractured mandate.

The ruling party, which emerged as the single-largest force with 108 seats, received backing from Congress, CPI and CPI(M), while also facing fresh political controversy involving Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) MLA S Kamaraj.

AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran expelled Kamaraj from the party after the MLA extended support to Vijay in the Assembly.

Dhinakaran accused Kamaraj of violating the party's official position and acting independently in favour of TVK.

The dispute intensified ongoing tensions between TVK and AMMK over allegations that Kamaraj's support letter had been forged, claims TVK has denied while releasing a video purportedly showing the MLA voluntarily backing the Vijay-led government.

From ordering TASMAC closures to engaging opposition leaders and navigating legal battles, the new Chief Minister has moved quickly to shape the political narrative in the first days of the TVK government -- even as the ruling party faces intense scrutiny from both courts and the opposition benches.

- ANI