KG Arunraj has been sworn in as a minister in the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government in Tamil Nadu, led by Chief Minister Vijay, who took oath along with nine other party MLAs.
A doctor-turned-civil servant, Arunraj previously served in the Income Tax Department across Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Maharashtra. After taking voluntary retirement, he joined active politics and was appointed by TVK president Vijay in June last year as the party’s general secretary for propaganda and policy.
Arunraj secured a decisive victory from the Tiruchengodu constituency, winning by a margin of 28,712 votes.
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Vijay is new CM 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 debut electoral victory for his party, TVK.
The oath of office was administered by Governor RN Ravi at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Among those present were leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi, Vijay’s parents, actor Trisha Krishnan, and several prominent figures.
Apart from Anuraj, 8 more TVK leaders, including N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, KA Sengottaiyan, P Venkataramanan, R Nirmalkumar, Rajmohan, TK Prabhu and S Keerthana, also took oath as ministers in the new cabinet.
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 maiden contest, TVK secured 108 of 234 seats, delivering a decisive mandate and ending the long-standing dominance of the Dravidian majors.
Drama unfolded in TN before Vijay’s appointment as CM
The formation of the TVK government in Tamil Nadu was marked by high political drama, with Vijay making four visits to Governor’s house stake claim to form the government.
Falling short of a majority on its own, TVK secured crucial backing from allies—Congress (5), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (2), Communist Party of India (2), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (2) and Indian Union Muslim League (2)—all of whom were previously part of the Secular Progressive Alliance led by the DMK.
However, uncertainty over support from VCK and IUML initially kept TVK’s tally below the majority mark of 118 in the 234-member assembly. Once both parties extended full backing, Vijay met the Governor again and was formally invited to form the government.
