Chennai, May 10 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Sunday announced 200 units of free electricity and the formation of the “SingaPen” Special Task Force as among the first major decisions of his government shortly after taking the oath.

Soon after the swearing-in ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium here, Vijay signed key official files in the presence of senior officials and ministers, signalling the beginning of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government’s welfare and governance agenda.

Vijay was sworn in as the Chief Minister by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar amid loud cheers from thousands of party workers, supporters and film fans gathered at the venue. He took the oaths of office and secrecy in the name of C. Joseph Vijay.

The TVK chief assumed office after his party emerged as the single largest formation in the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Assembly elections by winning 108 seats in the 234-member House. Though the party fell short of the majority mark of 118, the Congress extended support to it.

The Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) also backed the coalition, taking its strength to 120 MLAs.

The swearing-in ceremony witnessed elaborate security arrangements, with only around 6,000 invitees allowed inside the stadium through special passes. Chennai Police deployed massive security arrangements under the supervision of the Police Commissioner, with five Additional Commissioners and 12 Joint Commissioners overseeing arrangements.

Several prominent political leaders and film personalities attended the event, including Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, alliance leaders, Vijay’s parents, relatives, friends, and notables from the Tamil film industry.

Along with Vijay, N. Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, Dr K.G. Arunraj, K.A. Sengottaiyan, P. Venkataramanan, R. Nirmalkumar, Rajmohan, Dr T.K. Prabhu, and S. Keerthan were sworn in as ministers in the new cabinet. The ceremony marked a historic political moment in Tamil Nadu, ending decades of dominance by the state’s traditional Dravidian parties and ushering in a new political era under Vijay’s leadership.

–IANS

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