Tamil Nadu’s newly sworn-in Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay met his predecessor and DMK chief M. K. Stalin today, a day after taking oath following a landmark electoral victory that ended the decades-long dominance of the DMK and AIADMK in the state’s politics.
The details of the discussion between the two leaders were not disclosed. The meeting marked C. Joseph Vijay’s first courtesy visit to M. K. Stalin after his election victory.
Vijay was welcomed at the Stalin residence in Chennai’s Alwarpet by both MK Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin. The leaders greeted him warmly with handshakes and hugs.
Visuals from the meeting released to the media showed C. Joseph Vijay, dressed in a black suit, greeting DMK chief M. K. Stalin with folded hands, with Stalin warmly returning the gesture.
C. Joseph Vijay succeeded in forming the new government with the support of the Congress and several other parties, gathering enough numbers to secure a majority.
In the days following the May 4 election results, Tamil Nadu appeared headed towards an extended political tussle over government formation, with multiple alliance negotiations underway and speculation rife that even the AIADMK and the DMK could join hands.
M. K. Stalin had congratulated C. Joseph Vijay even before their meeting today. However, the former chief minister urged his successor not to blame the previous administration for the state’s financial situation and instead focus on delivering the promises made to the people.
“… I also welcome the announcements you signed immediately after assuming office,” Stalin said in a post on X yesterday, soon after Vijay and his first set of ministers were sworn in.
“Don’t begin by saying the government has no money. The funds are there. What matters is the willingness to spend it for the people and the capability to govern effectively,” M. K. Stalin said, while defending the financial management of the previous DMK administration.
“For five years, we rolled out numerous welfare schemes despite facing multiple challenges such as the COVID pandemic, floods, and what we saw as neglect from the BJP-led Union government,” Stalin added.
“You yourself stated in your very first speech that ‘the previous government left behind a debt of Rs 10 lakh crore and emptied the treasury’. Tamil Nadu’s debt remains within the permissible limits. We had clearly outlined the state’s financial position in the February budget itself. Were you not aware of that?” M. K. Stalin said.
While taking oath, C. Joseph Vijay described himself as a “common man”. The 51-year-old leader said he would not mislead people with false promises and stressed that his government would strive to usher in “an era of true, secular and social justice”.
The new chief minister also urged the people to give him a fair amount of time to assess his performance in office.
“There will be no power centre apart from me. I alone will be the centre of power,” C. Joseph Vijay said, as the actor-turned-politician — who embraced being addressed as “Mama” and “Thambi” – asserted that he would take full responsibility for his government’s policies and decisions.
C. Joseph Vijay had declared a total net worth of Rs 624 crore in his election affidavit, including Rs 213 crore held in savings accounts and nearly Rs 100 crore invested in fixed deposits across various banks.
Vijay also said his government would consider issuing a white paper on the state’s finances in the interest of transparency before moving ahead.