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

The first session of Tamil Nadu’s newly elected 17th Legislative Assembly commenced on Monday at Fort St George in Chennai, with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay taking oath as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). The ceremony, attended by senior officials and political leaders, also included the swearing-in of all 234 newly elected members, with security tightened across the Secretariat complex. The session follows Vijay’s swearing-in as Chief Minister on Sunday after Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) secured 108 seats in the April 23 Assembly elections, ending decades of dominance by the DMK and AIADMK alliances. Before assuming office, Vijay resigned from the Tiruchirappalli East constituency and retained Perambur as his seat. Pro Tem Speaker M V Karuppaiah, sworn in by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Sunday, administered the oath to Vijay and other MLAs. Karuppaiah, a senior TVK leader, will oversee the assembly’s proceedings until the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected. In his first speech as Chief Minister, Vijay emphasized transparency, promising to release a white paper and conduct government business openly. He criticized the previous DMK administration for depleting the state’s treasury and pledged to prioritize women’s safety and implement his election promises. The session also marks Vijay’s first entry into the Assembly as Chief Minister, drawing comparisons to former actor-turned-politician M G Ramachandran. His rapid rise reflects TVK’s dramatic debut in state politics, reshaping Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.