Tamil Nadu Assembly begins first session; CM Vijay sworn in as MLA | WATCH

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday took oath as Member of Tamil Nadu assembly at the secretariat in Chennai.

The first session of the newly constituted 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly began at the Secretariat in Chennai, with all newly elected MLAs scheduled to take oath as the state’s new government formally begins its legislative term. 

The session, convened at 9.30 am in the Legislative Assembly Chamber at Fort St George, comes a day after C Joseph Vijay was sworn in as Chief Minister following the landmark electoral victory of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in the 2026 Assembly elections.

The oath-taking ceremony is expected to see the participation of legislators, senior officials and political leaders, while security has been tightened in and around the Secretariat complex ahead of the proceedings. Apart from the swearing-in of MLAs, the Assembly is also scheduled to elect its Speaker and Deputy Speaker during the opening session.The oath was administered by protem speaker MV Karuppaiah. Apart from Vijay, other TVK MLAs will also take oath as members of assembly.

Karuppaiah sworn in as Pro Tem Speaker

Ahead of the Assembly session, senior TVK leader M V Karuppaiah was sworn in as the Pro Tem Speaker by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Sunday in the presence of Chief Minister Vijay.

Karuppaiah, who won from the Sholavandan constituency, will administer the oath of office to all newly elected members of the 234-member Assembly. His appointment comes at a crucial political moment after TVK’s dramatic debut altered the state’s long-standing political landscape.

Members began arriving at the Assembly premises on Monday morning carrying their election certificates ahead of the oath-taking proceedings.

Vijay enters Assembly as Chief Minister for first time

The Assembly session marks a major milestone for Vijay, who will enter the House for the first time as Chief Minister after leading TVK to a stunning victory in its maiden electoral contest.

TVK secured 108 seats in the April 23 Assembly elections, breaking the decades-long dominance of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam alliances in state politics.

The actor-turned-politician, popularly known as ‘Thalapathy’, officially assumed charge at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat in Chennai on Sunday shortly after taking oath as the state’s 13th Chief Minister.

His rapid political rise has already drawn comparisons with former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran, another film icon who successfully transitioned into politics.

Vijay resigns one Assembly seat

According to an official release issued by the Assembly Secretariat, Vijay resigned from the Tiruchirappalli East Assembly constituency before assuming office as Chief Minister. The resignation letter was submitted to Assembly Principal Secretary K Srinivasan.

Vijay has retained the Perambur Assembly constituency, the release added.

Vijay swearing-in speech

Meanwhile, in his first speech after being sworn in as Tamil Nadu CM, Vijay expressed his will to run a "transparent government", noting that he would perform all actions "openly." He also accused the previous DMK government of emptying the state's treasury.

"After reviewing everything, I intend to release a white paper to the people. I want my government to be a transparent government. That is the very first thing I want to do. As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, if I need to meet someone, I will not do it secretly or behind closed doors. Whatever I do, I will do openly and transparently. I request all of you to give me some time. I will gradually fulfil everything I have promised and will sincerely strive to implement them. This is your government. I will ensure strict safety for women," CM Vijay said.

Pointing out the 'poor financials' of the state, while blaming DMK, Vijay continued, "Today, the condition in which our Tamil Nadu government has been left is something I have seen for myself. The last government has gone out after borrowing debts of more than Rs 10 lakh crore; the treasury has been completely emptied before they left office. It is in such a situation that we have taken charge. I am not saying this for effect; only after going inside and seeing things firsthand can one understand what is there and what is not."

He further vowed not to use "people's money", emphasising that his primary focus would be to improve education, roads, drinking water facilities, and other essential services.

"Even if some people humiliate me, whether they are friends or enemies, all 8 crore people are still my people. My heart tells me that I must give complete attention to education, roads, drinking water facilities, and other essential services. As I said before, I will not touch even a single paisa of the people's money," he said.

The TVK chief also signed the first set of documents after taking the oath of Tamil Nadu CM, which gave nod to 200 units of free power supply and Special Task Forces to tackle drugs and ensure women's safety.

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam achieved historic success in the recently concluded Tamil Nadu elections, as it emerged as single largest party in the assembly, winning 108 seats. Meanwhile, TVK was ten short of majority mark 118, it received support from other parties including Congress, VCK, Left parties and IUML.

(With inputs from agencies)