C. Joseph Vijay took the oath as Chief Minister on 10 May 2026, six days after the count: the venue, the ministers sworn in with him and who attended.
C. Joseph Vijay was sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at 10:23 AM on Sunday, 10 May 2026, by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai. Nine cabinet ministers took oath alongside him.
Vijay became the first leader outside the DMK and AIADMK formations to lead Tamil Nadu since 1967 — ending a 59-year political duopoly. The new Chief Minister was directed to seek a vote of confidence in the Assembly by 13 May 2026, and won it 144–22 on 13 May 2026.
Of the 35 ministers sworn in 10–22 May 2026, 17 were first elected to the Assembly in the April 2026 election and 2 had won before: K. A. Sengottaiyan (10 wins since 1977) and S. Rajesh Kumar (3 wins since 2016). For the other 16, neither our profiles nor ECI's 2011–2021 results settle it.
In April 2026 their winning margins ran from 679 votes (R. Vinoth, Kumbakonam) to 54,246 (K. Thennarasu, Sriperumbudur). 6 of them won by under 3,000 votes, including all 4 ministers from partner parties.
Public · General Administration · Home · Police · Special Programme Implementation · Special Initiatives · Poverty Alleviation & Rural Indebtedness · Youth Welfare · Welfare of Children, the Aged & Differently Abled · Municipal Administration · Urban & Water Supply
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Perambur by 53,715 votes, April 2026
Rural Development · Panchayats & Panchayat Unions · Irrigation (including Small Irrigation)
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Thiyagarayanagar by 13,027 votes, April 2026
Public Works (Buildings, Highways, Minor Ports) · Sports Development
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Villivakkam by 17,302 votes, April 2026
Health · Medical Education · Family Welfare
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Tiruchengodu by 28,172 votes, April 2026
Revenue · District Revenue Establishment · Disaster Management · Legislative Assembly
Elected to the Assembly 10 times, first in 1977Won Gobichettipalayam by 16,620 votes, April 2026
Food & Civil Supplies · Consumer Protection · Price Control
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Mylapore by 28,972 votes, April 2026
Electricity & Non-Conventional Energy · Law · Courts · Prisons · Prevention of Corruption · Elections · Passports
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Thiruparankundram by 41,553 votes, April 2026
School Education · Archaeology · Tamil Official Language & Tamil Culture · Information & Publicity · Film Technology · Stationery & Printing
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Egmore by 10,804 votes, April 2026
Natural Resources (Minerals & Mines)
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Karaikudi by 46,074 votes, April 2026
Industries · Investment Promotion
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Sivakasi by 11,670 votes, April 2026
Higher Education (including Technical Education) · Electronics · Science & Technology
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Melur by 2,724 votes, April 2026
Tourism · Tourism Development Corporation
Elected to the Assembly 3 times, first in 2016Won Killiyoor by 1,311 votes, April 2026
Minorities Welfare · Wakf Board
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Papanasam by 1,065 votes, April 2026
Adi Dravidar Welfare · Hill Tribes
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Tindivanam by 734 votes, April 2026
Transport · Nationalised Transport · Motor Vehicles Act
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Salem (South) by 33,369 votes, April 2026
Housing · Rural Housing · Town Planning & Housing Development · CMDA · Urban Habitat Development Board · Urban Planning & Development
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Cuddalore by 15,519 votes, April 2026
Backward Classes · Most Backward Classes · Denotified Communities Welfare
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Coimbatore (North) by 21,992 votes, April 2026
Handlooms & Textiles · Khadi & Village Industries Board
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Erode (East) by 23,966 votes, April 2026
Prohibition & Excise
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Kinathukadavu by 11,710 votes, April 2026
Non-Resident Tamils Welfare · Refugees & Evacuees
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Sriperumbudur by 54,246 votes, April 2026
Labour Welfare · Skill Development · Employment & Training · Census · Weights & Measures
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Aranthangi by 10,062 votes, April 2026
Co-operation
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Arakkonam by 23,121 votes, April 2026
Social Welfare & Women Empowerment · Nutritious Meal Programme
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Rajapalayam by 10,605 votes, April 2026
Agriculture · Agricultural Engineering · Horticulture · Sugar & Sugarcane Development
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Kumbakonam by 679 votes, April 2026
Milk & Dairy Development
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Kumarapalayam by 7,696 votes, April 2026
Human Resources Management · Ex-Servicemen Welfare
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Tambaram by 35,621 votes, April 2026
Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Srirangam by 33,590 votes, April 2026
Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (Rural and Small Industries)
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Ottapidaram by 29,083 votes, April 2026
Finance · Pensions · Planning & Development
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Dr.Radhakrishnan Nagar by 49,668 votes, April 2026
Fisheries & Fishermen Welfare
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Thoothukkudi by 37,731 votes, April 2026
Animal Husbandry
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Avanashi by 15,373 votes, April 2026
Artificial Intelligence · Information Technology · Digital Services
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Velachery by 33,305 votes, April 2026
Forests
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Kancheepuram by 15,488 votes, April 2026
Commercial Taxes · Registration & Stamps
First elected to the Assembly in 2026Won Rasipuram by 14,511 votes, April 2026
Environment · Pollution Control · Climate Change
Earlier Assembly wins: not knownWon Tiruvadanai by 2,513 votes, April 2026