Chennai: C Joseph Vijay on Sunday took oath as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, at the head of a nine-member cabinet, in true filmy style by delivering the entire oath as if it were a single shot take, heralding a generational change by rewriting the grammar of politics and shunning long-held conventions.
Dressed in a black blazer and black pants, 51-year-old Vijay was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar a little after 10 am at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the presence of his fans and supporters.
As he uttered "C Joseph Vijay ennum naan…" the crowd erupted in celebration, and he stunned everyone by delivering the entire oath at once, without paper. The Governor even checked with him whether he delivered the actual oath, but Vijay confidently assured him that he indeed had.
The oath-taking ceremony turned into theater, with Vijay taking selfies with his guest -- Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi -- his cabinet colleagues, and the crowd gathered to witness this historic moment of his ascent to the Chief Minister's chair.
Rahul sharing the stage with Vijay, whom he called his "brother," also signified emerging political equations, even as leaders of Left parties sat in the front row. However, VCK chief Thol. Thirumavalavan was absent, with no representatives from DMK or AIADMK.
Vijay dumped his luxurious SUVs for the Toyota Innova provided by the Tamil Nadu government to reach his office, Fort St. George, where he took charge and accepted wishes from senior officers and his ministerial colleagues. A medium-sized portrait of Dravidian legend and DMK founder C N Annadurai hung on the wall of his office. He also made a quick visit to Periyar Thidal to pay respects to the Dravidian legend, one of the five ideologues of his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, at his resting place.
In a break from tradition, Vijay signed three files - granting 200 units of free electricity for households consuming up to 500 units bi-monthly, setting up an elite force for women's safety, and establishing an anti-narcotic task force to crack down on drugs - and delivered an emphatic speech at the stadium.
"I will not deceive you with hollow promises," Vijay thundered before his fans, and thanked his "young friends at home" (kids) who played a critical role in convincing elders to vote for him.
While most of his speech outlined plans to implement promises, ensure governance transparency and women's safety, and maintain law and order, Vijay blamed the previous DMK government for leaving the coffers empty.
The hero's journey: How Vijay became Tamil Nadu's Jana NayaganHe sought time from the people to implement his pre-poll promises and vowed to release a white paper on the state's finances. His remarks drew a sharp rebuke from predecessor M K Stalin, who told the new CM that the exchequer had enough for welfare schemes and urged him to learn the art of managing finances.
Several takeaways emerged from Vijay's speech: he promised not to make mistakes himself, not to let others make mistakes, and sent a strong message to supporters that anyone entertaining thoughts of "making mistakes" should erase them immediately.
"There is only one power centre, headed by me. There are no other power centres on this side or that," Vijay declared to a roaring reception from his fans. He also promised that his government would protect minorities.
"Let us provide fresh governance, new governance. This is a new beginning, a new era where real secular social justice starts now," Vijay said, pointing to his watch.
At the Secretariat, the Chief Minister held a review meeting on the law and order situation and appointed seasoned, upright officers P Senthil Kumar and G Laxmi Priya as Secretary 1 and 2 in his office.
R Kannan, biographer of Dravidian legends C N Annadurai and MGR, told DH that Vijay has disproved the theory that the era of charismatic politics was behind. "Tamils always wanted a champion, and Vijay is their new champion. He should be more gracious, and I think he is still young and will learn on the go," he added.