Securing the support of 120 MLAs after the VCK, IUML, and Congress backed his bid, the TVK leader ends days of political paralysis.

The nail-biting political deadlock in Tamil Nadu is over. Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C. Joseph Vijay will take the oath as Chief Minister at 10 a.m. on Sunday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. He staked his claim at Lok Bhavan on Saturday evening, presenting Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar with letters of support from 120 MLAs in the 234-member Assembly.

The 51-year-old actor-turned-politician pulled off a remarkable debut. He didn’t just win; he dominated. The TVK emerged as the single largest party, capturing 108 seats and securing 34.92% of the popular vote according to Election Commission data. He decimated the traditional Dravidian majors, pushing the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to 59 seats and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) down to 47.

But he fell ten seats short of the 118 required for a simple majority. He spent four agonizing days negotiating to cross the finish line.

And he found his numbers by splintering the established DMK alliance.

The Indian National Congress, holding five crucial seats, threw its weight behind the TVK early on. They aren’t just offering outside support. The Indian Express reports that Congress MLA P. Viswanathan, representing Melur, will join Vijay’s cabinet. This move creates Tamil Nadu’s first true coalition government since 1952, when Manickavelu Naicker joined C. Rajagopalachari’s administration.

The final mathematical push came Saturday afternoon. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), each holding two seats, submitted letters of unconditional support to the Governor. VCK president Thol. Thirumavalavan and IUML national president K.M. Kader Mohideen officially backed the TVK. The Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), also with two seats each, rounded out the new bloc.

How did the DMK react to losing its grip on power and its allies?

Outgoing Chief Minister M.K. Stalin didn’t hide his frustration with the Congress. He took to X to highlight the betrayal, pointing out that Congress MLAs who won on his Secular Progressive Alliance ticket couldn’t even bother to visit the DMK headquarters to express their thanks.

“The Congress party severed ties with the DMK and proceeded,” Stalin wrote. DMK spokesperson Saravanan Anadurai went further, telling reporters the national party backstabbed the people of Tamil Nadu.

But Stalin took a noticeably softer tone with the Left parties and the VCK. He noted they expressed their camaraderie and maintained their faith in the DMK’s core policies. He claimed they only supported the TVK to prevent a constitutional crisis in a hung Assembly.

Stalin promised the DMK will function as a constructive opposition. He urged the incoming administration to continue his government’s flagship welfare schemes for women, youth, and students. He argued these initiatives, like the free breakfast programme for school children, must survive the change in leadership.

The AIADMK, relegated to third place under Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s leadership, watched the rapid realignment from the sidelines. Palaniswami campaigned heavily on anti-incumbency, yet voters seeking an alternative flocked to Vijay instead.

The TVK’s dominance proved absolute in key regions. Vijay’s party swept through Chennai, wresting 14 of the capital district’s 16 Assembly seats directly from the DMK. The only holdouts were Harbour and Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni, the latter retained by Stalin’s son, Udhayanidhi Stalin.

Vijay himself contested and won two seats, Perambur and Tiruchi East. This means his party’s effective voting strength on the floor sits at 107. Adding the 13 allied legislators brings his total to 120.

He’s now facing a mandatory vote of confidence in the Assembly. The Governor ordered this floor test to take place on or before May 13.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will fly in to attend the Sunday morning ceremony. Nine ministers will take the oath alongside Vijay.

Security remains tight across Chennai tonight. TVK supporters are lining the streets outside the leader’s Neelankarai residence and bursting firecrackers at the party headquarters.

Vijay just broke a fifty-year Dravidian duopoly.