It is a week since C Joseph Vijay took oath because the thirteenth Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the primary in practically six many years to return from exterior the DMK-AIADMK duopoly.
Vijay arrived on the Tamil Nadu Secretariat in a blazer over a white shirt and darkish trousers, departing from the white veshti that has lengthy been commonplace political apparel within the state. Since then, Vijay has develop into a speaking level on social media, and each transfer he has made has been scrutinised by his critics and celebrated by his followers and followers.
Day one orders: Energy, medication and ladies’s security
Inside hours of assuming cost, Vijay signed his first three authorities orders. The primary expanded the state’s free electrical energy scheme to 200 items for home shoppers, relevant to households consuming as much as 500 items in a two-month billing cycle.
The second directed the formation of 65 devoted anti-drug job power items throughout all districts. The third established a brand new all-women particular power, particulars of which had been fleshed out in a separate order the next day.
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Singapen security crew
The ladies’s security unit introduced on day one was formally constituted because the Singapen Sirappu Athiradi Padai, singapen that means lioness in Tamil (Singapennae… can be a success tune from his 2019 movie Bigil). The power is remitted to perform completely on crimes in opposition to girls and is to be arrange in each district of the state.
The Director Normal of Police has been directed to start the formal procedures to operationalise it. Girls’s security was a central theme of the TVK’s marketing campaign, with Vijay citing the Anna College sexual assault case of December 2024 as emblematic of the legislation and order failures of the earlier DMK authorities.
717 TASMAC retailers ordered shut
On Might 11, his second day in workplace, Vijay issued an government order directing the closure of 717 state-run TASMAC liquor shops inside two weeks. The order covers all retailers working inside a 500-metre radius of locations of worship, academic establishments and main bus stands.
Of the 717 retailers earmarked for closure, 276 are positioned close to temples, mosques and church buildings, 186 close to colleges and schools and 255 close to bus stands. Tamil Nadu at present operates 4,765 TASMAC retailers in complete.
Vijay meets Stalin
On Might 11, Vijay referred to as on DMK president MK Stalin at his Alwarpet residence in Chennai, in what either side described as a courtesy name. Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi obtained Vijay warmly, and the 2 leaders exchanged silk shawls. The go to got here after an acrimonious electoral contest between the 2 events.
Inside the DMK, Udhayanidhi Stalin was subsequently elected Chief of the Legislature Social gathering, formally positioning himself because the face of the principal opposition within the Meeting.
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Astrologer in secretariat
An appointment on Might 12 generated appreciable commentary. An official authorities order confirmed the induction of Radhan Pandit Vettrivel, Vijay’s private astrologer and religious adviser, as Officer on Particular Obligation (Political) to the Chief Minister.
Radhan Pandit, who describes himself as a political and celeb astrologer, has over 4 many years of expertise in Vedic astrology and numerology. He had publicly predicted in January that TVK would win 180 seats; the occasion received 108.
Opposition figures and a number of other commentators questioned the appropriateness of a government-funded appointment for a practitioner with no administrative background. Vijay rapidly revoked the appointment in an official press launch. The assertion hasn’t talked about the explanation behind the U-turn of Vijay’s transfer.
Belief vote handed with 144 MLAs
On Might 13, Vijay received the belief vote within the Tamil Nadu Meeting with the assist of 144 MLAs. Twenty-two voted in opposition to and 5 abstained. Help got here from TVK’s coalition companions, Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML, in addition to a faction of insurgent AIADMK legislators who broke from the occasion’s official place.
Because the flooring take a look at, there was a tussle between two factions inside AIADMK occasion, with a sect backing Edappadi Palanisamy, who refused to again Vijay, and one other sect consisting of S.P. Velumani, C.Ve. Shanmugam and Vijaya Baskar, amongst 20+ MLAs, who’ve backed Vijay within the flooring take a look at.
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DA hike for 16 lakh state staff
On Might 14, the federal government introduced a 2 per cent hike in Dearness Allowance for state authorities staff and academics, revising it from 58 per cent to 60 per cent with impact from January 1, 2026. The revision advantages roughly 16 lakh staff, academics, pensioners and household pensioners.
The extra annual expenditure on account of the hike is estimated at Rs 1,230 crore, a major outgo for a authorities that has concurrently promised a white paper on the state’s fiscal place and acknowledged a debt burden of over Rs 10 lakh crore inherited from the earlier administration.
Cupboard unveiled
On Might 16, Vijay launched portfolio allocations for his ten-member cupboard. He retained the house and public administration departments. Veteran ten-time MLA KA Sengottaiyan was appointed Finance Minister.
TVK common secretary Bussy Anand was given rural growth and poverty alleviation. First-time MLA Aadhav Arjuna took cost of public works and sports activities growth. S Keerthana, 29, from Sivakasi, was appointed Industries Minister, turning into the youngest minister within the state’s historical past. CTR Nirmal Kumar was handed the prevention of corruption portfolio alongside electrical energy.
The cupboard attracts from a mixture of skilled legislators, first-time MLAs and Vijay’s shut organisational associates, with no representatives from the alliance companions within the first part of inductions.
