Chennai:
Tamil Nadu’s new Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay met his predecessor and DMK chief MK Stalin today after the actor-turned-politician took oath yesterday, following a historic election win that smashed the DMK and AIADMK duopoly of decades.
It is not known what the two leaders discussed at the meeting today. Following the electoral win, this is the first time Vijay met Stalin in a courtesy call. Both MK Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin welcomed Vijay at their house in Chennai’s Alwarpet. They shook hands with Vijay and hugged him.
Visuals of the meeting shared with the media showed Vijay, in a black suit, greeting the DMK chief with folded hands. Stalin returned the gesture.
Vijay managed to form the new government with help from the Congress and other parties, cobbling up whatever numbers they can get to cross the majority mark. In the days after the results came on May 4, Tamil Nadu seemed likely headed for a protracted battle for government formation, with many alliances in play as well as speculation that even the AIADMK and the DMK may team up.
Stalin had already congratulated Vijay before they met today. The former chief minister, however, asked his successor to avoid putting blame on the previous government over the state’s financial condition. Instead, make sure to fulfil promises made to the people, Stalin said.
“… I also welcome the announcements you have signed immediately upon taking office,” Stalin said in a post on X yesterday, shortly after Vijay and his initial team of ministers took oath.
“Don’t start saying right away that the government has no money. It does have it. What’s needed is the will to give it to the people, and the ability to govern,” Stalin added, and defended how the previous DMK government handled the state’s finances.
“For five years, we implemented countless welfare schemes for the people despite grappling with numerous issues like COVID and floods, as well as the neglect from the Union BJP government,” Stalin said.
“You yourself mentioned in your very first speech the accusation that ‘the previous government left behind a debt of Rs 10 lakh crore and emptied the treasury’. The debt level of Tamil Nadu is within the permitted limits. We clearly explained the financial position of the Tamil Nadu government in the February budget itself. Didn’t you know that?” the former chief minister said.
While taking oath, Vijay described himself as a “common man”. The 51-year-old leader said he will not deceive people with false promises, and highlighted he would work for “an era of real, secular, social justice”. The new chief minister also asked the people to give him a reasonable time to measure his performance.
“There will be no power centre other than me. I will be the only centre of power,” the actor-turned-politician who accepted being called “Mama” and “Thambi” said, indicating he would be accountable for his government’s policies.
The new chief minister had declared a total net worth of Rs 624 crore in his election affidavit, with Rs 213 crore held in savings accounts and Rs 100 crore invested in fixed deposits across banks.
Vijay said he would consider releasing a white paper on the state’s finances for the sake of transparency before going forward.
