Joseph Vijay, the Tamil Nadu superstar-turned-politician, has completed 100 days as Chief Minister after making a remarkable electoral debut and pulling off a major political upset. As he reaches the milestone, his close aide and minister Aadhav Arjuna has offered a glimpse into Vijay’s working style and approach to governance.
According to Arjuna, Vijay works for nearly 20 hours a day, beginning as early as 4 am by calling ministers to seek updates on the functioning of their respective departments.
“Our leader is working for more than 18 to 20 hours a day. He calls at 4 in the morning and asks what has happened in every department. That is the kind of CM we have,” Arjuna said while speaking at the India Today Tamil Nadu Conclave in Chennai.
He said Vijay’s focus since taking office has been on identifying emerging challenges and addressing issues across government departments rather than simply relying on the electoral mandate he secured.
Arjuna added that there was “absolutely no arrogance” within the government despite Vijay becoming Chief Minister and said the administration remained committed to working for the people.
Describing Vijay’s approach to his new role, the minister called him a “political monk”, saying the Chief Minister had remained focused on governance instead of celebrating his electoral victory.
“After winning, I see him daily at the Secretariat. From the day he came, he looked like a political monk. What should be done? What should be done next? What should be done after that? There are so many problems. What are the problems in every department? Particularly corruption,” Arjuna said.
The minister said that during its first 100 days, the Vijay government had taken steps to prevent financial leakages and increase transparency in the functioning of the administration. However, Arjuna acknowledged that corruption could still persist at lower levels, calling it an issue that had remained embedded in the government machinery for decades.
According to him, the government is trying to reform the system from the top, with Vijay repeatedly instructing officials to eliminate financial leakages and ensure transparency throughout government processes.
