KG Arunraj was sworn in as a minister in the newly formed Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) government in Tamil Nadu, led by Chief Minister Vijay, who took oath along with nine other party members.
Arunraj was a doctor-turned-civil servant, who had previously worked in the income tax department of Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Maharashtra. After voluntary retirement, he joined active politics and was appointed by TVK president Vijay in June last year as the party’s general secretary, publicity and policy.
Arunraj achieved a decisive victory from Tiruchengdu constituency, winning by a margin of 28,712 votes.
Follow the Tamil Nadu CM oath ceremony live
Vijay is the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Actor-turned-politician Vijay, popularly known as ‘Thalapathy’, was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday after a historic first election victory for his party TVK.
Governor RN Ravi took oath at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, Vijay’s parents, actor Trisha Krishnan and many other dignitaries were among those present.
Apart from Anurag, 8 other TVK leaders, including N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, KA Sengottaiyan, P Venkataramanan, R Nirmalkumar, Rajmohan, T K Prabhu and S Keerthana, were sworn in as ministers in the new government.
Before the ceremony, Vijay welcomed Governor Ravi and introduced him to the ministers-designate.
The 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections marked a turning point in the state’s political landscape. In its first contest, TVK bagged 108 of the 234 seats, resulting in a decisive mandate and ending the long-standing dominance of the Dravidian major leagues.
The drama unfolded in TN before Vijay was appointed as CM
The formation of the TVK government in Tamil Nadu was marked by high political drama, with Vijay making four visits to the governor’s house stake to demand formation of the government.
After failing to achieve a majority on its own, TVK received crucial support from allies – Congress (5), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (2), Communist Party of India (2), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (2), and Indian Muslim League (2) – all of whom had previously been part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance.
However, uncertainty over support from the VCK and IUML initially kept TVK’s tally below the majority mark of 118 members in the 234-member Assembly. Once both parties extended full support, Vijay met the Governor again and was formally invited to form the government.
