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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay on Sunday paid tribute to social reformer E V Ramasamy (Periyar) at the Dravidar Kazhagam-associated Thanthai Periyar EV Ramaswamy Memorial located at Periyar Thidal in Chennai, shortly after assuming office as the 13th Chief Minister of the state.
He was also seen being welcomed by DMK leader K Veeramani during his visit, as per visuals from the spot. Visuals from the memorial showed Vijay paying homage at the site, which houses a monument, library and museum dedicated to Periyar's legacy of rationalism, women's rights and social justice. The memorial complex is considered a key centre for promoting Periyar's ideology and his movement for the eradication of the caste system in Tamil Nadu. Before assuming office as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Vijay also submitted his resignation letter from the post of Member of the Legislative Assembly representing the Tiruchirappalli East constituency. Today at the Secretariat, Ministers KA Sengottaiyan and P Venkataramanan met the Secretary of the Legislative Assembly, Dr K Srinivasan, and handed over the resignation letter. Vijay won from Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East assembly seats in the 2026 Tamil Nadu election. Earlier in the day, Vijay officially assumed charge at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat in Chennai after taking oath as Chief Minister following TVK's electoral victory. He was welcomed with a ceremonial Guard of Honour and greeted by senior officials and government employees upon his arrival at the Civil Secretariat. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar today administered the oath of office and secrecy to Vijay and nine ministers of his cabinet at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. In his first address as Chief Minister, Vijay thanked the people of Tamil Nadu and called for a "new era" of governance. "Come, let all of us together give Tamil Nadu a fresh new government. This is a new beginning, the start of a new era of secular, social justice," he said amid cheers. He added, "I am not some divine messenger or prophet. I am just an ordinary human being living a normal life. I will never deceive you with false promises. I will only promise what is possible." Addressing his supporters, he said, "I do not come from a royal family. I am just like your son, your daughter, your elder brother or your younger brother." He also acknowledged young supporters who call him "Vijay Mama" and promised to work for their welfare. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi attended the ceremony along with leaders of the Congress, CPI, CPI(M) and VCK, who extended support to TVK to help it secure a majority in the Assembly. Vijay also thanked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party general secretary KC Venugopal for their support. The 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections marked a major political shift as TVK won 108 seats in its debut election, ending the long-standing dominance of DMK and AIADMK formations. Popularly known as 'Thalapathy', Vijay's rise has drawn comparisons with former Chief Minister and actor MG Ramachandran. (ANI)
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