It's time to rule; Vijay to take oath as Chief Minister tomorrow

CHENNAI: After days of uncertainty, TVK president Vijay will take oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at 10 am at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. Governor Rajendra Arlekar granted Vijay an appointment after he secured the support of 12 additional MLAs, taking his total backing from 108 to 120 MLAs. Vijay later reached Lok Bhavan around 6.30 pm and submitted letters of support from 120 MLAs to the Governor. He has been asked to prove his majority in the Assembly before May 13.

This was the fourth time Vijay approached the Governor seeking permission for the swearing-in. Until 4 pm today, Lok Bhavan had maintained that the Governor would not be able to meet Vijay as he was scheduled to leave for Thiruvananthapuram at 7.15 pm. Vijay, who had already left his residence, reportedly returned midway. However, after some time, Governor Arlekar cancelled his travel plans and invited Vijay for discussions. Vijay reached Lok Bhavan along with leaders of the parties supporting him.

The swearing-in ceremony was initially planned for 3.15 pm tomorrow, but it was later rescheduled to the morning considering the Governor’s convenience.

TVK’s support rose to 120 after the party received letters of support today from the VCK and the Muslim League, both of which have two MLAs each. A minimum of 118 MLAs is required for a simple majority. TVK has 107 seats on its own. The Congress party, which has five MLAs, and both the CPM and CPI, with two MLAs each, had earlier announced their support. Among the supporting parties, only Congress will join the cabinet.