Vijay Begins Administrative Overhaul, Appoints Key IAS Officers to Chief Minister’s Office

Chennai, May 2026 : Hours after taking oath as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C. Joseph Vijay on Sunday initiated major administrative appointments in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), appointing senior IAS officers P. Senthil Kumar and G. Lakshmi Priya to key positions in his administration.

The appointments mark the first major bureaucratic decisions of the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government and are being viewed as the beginning of a broader administrative transition following the end of the previous DMK regime.

According to official sources, P. Senthil Kumar, who previously served as Secretary of the Health Department, has been appointed as the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. He will also function as Special Secretary–1 in the Chief Minister’s Office, one of the most influential administrative positions in the state government.

Senior IAS officer G. Lakshmi Priya, who had been serving as Secretary of the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department, has been appointed as Special Secretary–2 to the Chief Minister. Sources indicated that the appointment of a third Special Secretary is likely to be announced in the coming days as the new administration settles into office.

Traditionally, Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers are assisted by three Special Secretaries and a Joint Secretary in the CMO, with each officer handling specific departments and coordinating governance-related matters directly with the Chief Minister.

The appointments came shortly after Vijay formally assumed charge at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat following a grand swearing-in ceremony held earlier in the day at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium.

Upon his arrival at the Secretariat, Vijay was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour by the police. He later proceeded to the Chief Minister’s chamber, where senior bureaucrats and government officials welcomed him and briefed him on official procedures and administrative formalities.

Officials present at the Secretariat said the actor-turned-politician appeared visibly emotional and humbled as he entered the Chief Minister’s office for the first time. Senior minister K.A. Sengottaiyan was seen encouraging Vijay to occupy the Chief Minister’s chair, after which he formally assumed office amid applause from those present.

Assembly Secretary Srinivasan congratulated the new Chief Minister, while several senior IAS and IPS officers met him personally and extended their greetings. Many officials also introduced themselves during the interaction, marking the beginning of Vijay’s first administrative engagement as Chief Minister.

The appointments are also significant because they signal the transition from the previous administration led by M.K. Stalin. During Stalin’s tenure, senior IAS officers including Udayachandran, Shanmugam, Anu George, and later Umanath had served in key positions within the Chief Minister’s Office.

Meanwhile, celebrations continued across Tamil Nadu as TVK supporters marked Vijay’s elevation to the state’s top post, describing it as a historic political moment in the state’s history.

Team Maverick.