CHENNAI: TVK chief C Joseph Vijay will be sworn in as Tamil Nadu chief minister on Sunday. Along with him, his core team comprising nine TVK MLAs and two Congress MLAs is expected to be sworn in as Tamil Nadu cabinet ministers. The ceremony will be held at 10am at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.Governor R V Arlekar has asked chief minister-designate Vijay to prove his majority in the state legislative assembly on or before May 13. Vijay met the governor on Saturday evening and submitted to him letters of support from Congress, VCK, IUML and the Left parties. According to a Lok Bhavan statement, “The governor issued an order appointing Vijay as the chief minister and invited him to form the ministry.” Leaders of parties supporting TVK were present when Vijay visited the governor’s office for the fourth time in less than a week to stake claim to form the govt.VCK and IUML extended unconditional support to TVK on Saturday, helping Vijay reach the required majority mark of 120 in the 234-member assembly. Congress, CPI and CPM had already backed TVK, taking its tally from 107 to 116 by Friday night. With VCK and IUML joining in, the tally rose to 120.

TVK functionary Aadhav Arjuna received the VCK letter from Thol Thirumavalavan on Saturday evening following uncertainty through the day. IUML national president Khader Mohideen handed over his party’s letter to TVK leaders K A Sengottaiyan and Arun Raj. In his letter to the governor, Thirumavalavan said, “This support is being extended in the interest of ensuring stable and democratic governance for people of Tamil Nadu.” Later, Thirumavalavan told reporters that VCK remained part of DMK-led alliance and was backing TVK govt only to prevent President’s rule. He said the decision was conveyed to DMK chief M K Stalin, who responded positively.TVK earlier made two unsuccessful attempts to secure IUML’s support, with the party initially refusing because of its long-standing ties with DMK. A final push on Saturday brought IUML on board.The party high-level committee resolved that helping establish a democratic govt is a vital democratic duty to prevent political instability in the state. “The expectations of the general public, and particularly the Muslim community, are for the establishment of a democratic government. This decision is taken to preserve the traditions of Tamil Nadu and avoid the unwelcome prospect of President’s rule in the state,” the party said. IUML emphasized that it has been a long-standing partner of DMK and will continue its alliance with the DMK-led bloc.