CHENNAI — Actor-turned-politician Thalapathy Vijay vowed to build a secular Tamil Nadu and declared himself the sole center of power in his first speech after being sworn in as the state’s new chief minister in Chennai on Sunday.
The 51-year-old chief minister presented himself as a “common man,” noting that he had no high-born family background and said the people had embraced him because he came up from the grass roots.
Vijay pledged a new era of true secularism and social justice, saying he would not deceive people with false promises. He also asked the public for some time to judge his work.
“There will be no other center of power besides me. I will be the only center of power,” Vijay said. He meant he would take personal responsibility for all his government’s policies. The remark also signaled that he would not bend to pressure or dictates from coalition partners.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Vijay on his swearing-in, saying the central government would work with the state to improve people’s lives.
The new cabinet is dominated by loyal leaders of Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, or TVK. No leaders from Rahul Gandhi’s Congress party were given cabinet posts. Congress had been the first to extend support to Vijay’s party during the battle to prove a majority for government formation.
On his first day in office, Vijay signed two orders: providing up to 200 units of free electricity for ordinary citizens and forming a special force to ensure women’s safety.
Vijay said he is considering publishing a white paper on the state’s financial condition to ensure transparency before launching the rest of his agenda. According to his Election Commission affidavit, his total assets amount to Tk 624 crore, including Tk 213 crore in savings accounts and Tk 100 crore in fixed deposits at various banks.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report