Vijay Makes 'Only 1 Power' Pitch In Tamil Nadu, Thanks DMK Allies For Support

'Thalapathy' C Joseph Vijay, who took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after four days of political twists and turns that seemed like a blockbuster thriller, has made his mark clear - there is only one power in the southern state, and that is him.

In his first address as the Chief Minister, Vijay said, "There will be no power centre other than me. I will be the only centre of power" - asserting control over his decision-making. His remark appeared to reassure the people of Tamil Nadu that the TVK-led government would not be under any pressure from any alliance partner to do their bidding.

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Vijay, who introduced himself as 'Thambi' (younger brother), also sent a message to his political rivals saying whoever plans to "do wrong" and destabilise the government should abandon such ideas. "I will not do wrong and will not let others with me do wrong either. If anyone has wrong ideas, delete them right away," he said.

A 'thanks' to DMK allies

Vijay thanked all the DMK allies who supported him to get the 'magic number' of 118 to form a government, and referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as his "brother".

Photo Credit: PTI

"I thank Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Parliament my brother Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Selvaperunthagai, and Praveen Chakravarthy, CPM leaders P Shanmugam and Su Venkatesan, VCK leaders Thol Thirumavalavan, Ravikumar, and Vanniarasu, and CPI leader M Veerapandian," he said.

He also thanked all the TVK cadres and "virtual warriors".

'Not an angel'

Referring to himself as 'mama', Vijay told the people of Tamil Nadu that he is not an angel, but a common man like everyone.

"I will not promise what we cannot deliver, but I now have confidence that we can do anything with you. I request all of you to give me some time. I will gradually fulfill everything I have promised and will sincerely strive to implement them. I will not touch even a single penny of the citizens," he said.

Vijay's cabinet

Along with Vijay, nine other TVK leaders were sworn in as his ministers.

Among the prominent faces was veteran AIADMK leader KA Sengottaiyan, who has worked closely with former chief ministers MGR and Jayalalithaa over the decades. Aadhav Arjuna - considered one of Vijay's trusted strategists, Raj Mohan - a television and film personality known for his oratory skills, Dr TK Prabhu - a dentist-turned-politician, and S Keerthana - the youngest face in the cabinet, also took oath.

Congress, CPI(M), VCK, and IUML leaders who have given support to the TVK government formation may take the oath at a later stage after portfolio discussions are completed.