Chennai, August 29, 2026: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay surprised the State Assembly on Thursday when he left his usual seat and moved to sit with his cabinet ministers during the afternoon session.
The unusual move quickly attracted attention, with videos of Vijay seated among the ministers and interacting with them circulating on social media.
Vijay leaves his usual seat
Vijay initially occupied the chair reserved for the Chief Minister, located close to the Speaker’s chair. He later left the seat and moved to the ministers’ row.
He sat between Leader of the House K A Sengottaiyan and Minister Aadhav Arjuna, with videos showing him speaking with the ministers during the session.
According to PTI, citing sources, no other Chief Minister had previously occupied a seat meant for ministers.
Why the move was unusual
The Chief Minister normally has a separate and spacious chair near the Speaker. Ministers sit alongside him in designated seats based on their seniority.
Opposite the ministers’ row are seats for the Leader of the Opposition and leaders of legislative parties, depending on their strength in the House.
Vijay’s decision to leave his designated chair and sit with ministers was therefore an unusual departure from the established seating arrangement.
Vijay had a busy day
Before attending the Assembly, Vijay took part in government events and chaired a high-level review meeting on Tamil Nadu residents stranded in Nepal following devastating flash floods.
According to ANI, 103 people from Tamil Nadu had travelled to Nepal in two groups. The first group consisted of 54 people from Tamil Nadu and three from Puducherry, while the second included 49 people from Tamil Nadu.
Several measures announced
The unusual seating moment comes as Vijay completes more than 100 days as Chief Minister. His government has introduced several measures and bills during this period.
The government has announced that maternity leave for women government employees having a third child will increase from 12 weeks to 365 days.
It has also raised Aavin’s milk procurement price from Rs 38 to Rs 41 per litre, benefiting more than 3.16 lakh milk producers.
Vijay has further announced government vehicles and a monthly package of Rs 1 lakh for MLAs, covering fuel, maintenance, driver expenses and office assistance.