Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sunday congratulated Chandrasekhar Joseph Vijay after the actor-turned-politician was sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, underlining the longstanding historical and cultural ties between Sri Lanka and the Indian state.
In a message posted on X, Dissanayake wrote, “Congratulations to Hon. C. Joseph Vijay on being sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,” and noted that “Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu are connected through history, culture, enterprise, and enduring people-to-people ties across generations.” He added that closer cooperation offers “immense economic promise and opportunity” and expressed his readiness to work with the new Tamil Nadu leadership within the broader India–Sri Lanka partnership.
“The people of Sri Lanka join me in wishing you and the people of Tamil Nadu every success,” Dissanayake said, signaling a desire for deeper collaboration between the neighbouring jurisdictions.
Vijay, leader of the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), took oath as the ninth Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after a decisive debut election showing. The ceremony at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was presided over by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. Prominent attendees included Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Vijay’s parents, actress Trisha Krishna and other well-wishers.
Nine TVK members will join Vijay in his first cabinet: N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, KA Sengottaiyan, KG Arunraj, P Venkataramanan, R Nirmalkumar, Rajmohan, TK Prabhu and S Keerthana. Ahead of the oath, Vijay welcomed Governor Arlekar and introduced the ministers-designate.
The 2026 state election delivered an unprecedented result: TVK won 108 of 234 seats in its maiden contest, and both of Tamil Nadu’s long-dominant Dravidian parties were pushed out of power for the first time. Because TVK fell short of an outright majority, it has accepted outside support from several parties: Congress (5 seats), CPI-M (2), CPI (2), VCK (2) and IUML (2). These parties had earlier been aligned with the Secular Progressive Alliance led by the DMK.
Vijay, widely known by his screen sobriquet “Thalapathy,” brought strong mass appeal to the campaign. Observers compared his public following and rally draw to earlier actor-politicians such as former chief minister MG Ramachandran. Although TVK was launched only in 2024, Vijay has a long history of public engagement through film and social work; his movies often addressed issues such as drug abuse and corruption, and he has been involved in social initiatives for years.
Open about his Christian faith and committed to secular politics, Vijay won two assembly seats in 2026 — Perambur and Trichy East — and is expected to vacate one. His elevation marks a significant moment in Tamil Nadu politics and, as Dissanayake’s message suggests, could open new avenues for enhanced regional cooperation between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.
