MV Karuppaiah Sworn In as Protem Speaker of Tamil Nadu Assembly

This followed the inauguration of the new Tamil Nadu government led by Vijay this morning.

Chief Minister Vijay felicitated Governor Arlekar as he arrived at the Lok Bhavan to attend the swearing-in ceremony

The appointment of Karuppaiah, the elected MLA from Sholavandan comes at a crucial political moment in Tamil Nadu after TVK scripted a historic electoral debut in the recent Assembly elections.

The Pro-tem Speaker administers the oath to all newly elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

The Seventeenth Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has been summoned to meet for its first session at 9.30 AM on May 11 in the Legislative Assembly Chamber, Secretariat, Chennai.

The newly elected Members will take the oath on that day. The election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly will be held at 9.30 AM on May 12, an official release from the State Assembly Secretariat.

Earlier today, TVK chief, actor-turned politician Vijay officially assumed charge at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat at Fort George in Chennai, shortly after taking oath as the 13th Chief Minister of the state after securing a historic electoral victory for his party.

This morning, Tamil Nadu witnessed a major political transition as Governor Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Vijay and nine ministers of his cabinet at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here.

After assuming office, he offered tribute to social reformer E V Ramasamy (Periyar) at the Thanthai Periyar EV Ramaswamy Memorial at Periyar Thidal in Chennai. He also met with Dravidar Kazhagam President K Veeramani.

The 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections marked a historic shift in state politics as TVK won 108 seats in its debut election, ending the decades-long dominance of the DMK and AIADMK formations. Popularly known as 'Thalapathy', Vijay's rise has drawn comparisons with former Chief Minister and actor MG Ramachandran.

An official release from the State Assembly Secretariat said that before he assumed office as chief minister, Vijay tendered his resignation from Tiruchirappalli East Assembly constituency and sent the letter to Assembly Principal Secretary K Srinivasan. He has retained Perambur, the State Assembly Secretariat said.

Meanwhile, in his first speech as Chief Minister, Vijay thanked the people of the State for placing their trust in him and called for a "new era" of governance based on secularism and social justice. "Come, let all of us together give Tamil Nadu a fresh new government. This is a new beginning, the start of a new era of secular, social justice," he said amid loud cheers from supporters and party workers.

The actor-turned-politician stressed his humble roots and assured the public that he would remain committed to honest governance. "I am not some divine messenger or prophet. I am just an ordinary human being living a normal life. I will never deceive you with false promises. I will only promise what is possible," Vijay said.

He also addressed his supporters and young voters, saying, "I do not come from a royal family. I am just like your son, your daughter, your elder brother or your younger brother." Referring to children and Gen Z supporters who fondly call him "Vijay Mama," he promised to work for their future and welfare.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi attended the ceremony along with leaders of Congress, CPI, CPI(M) and VCK, parties that extended support to TVK to help it cross the majority mark in the Assembly. Vijay also thanked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party general secretary KC Venugopal for their support.

- ANI