The number of followers on the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s official social media handles, especially Instagram, increased significantly after Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader C. Joseph Vijay took over as the Chief Minister. 

In a short span of a little more than 48 hours, the followers count increased from 4.56 lakh on May 9 to 1.9 million on May 11. The quantum jump in the number of followers was attributed to the strong presence of TVK across social media platforms besides the stardom factor.

Going by social media analytics, the number of followers in @cmotamilnadu remained 4.47 lakh from April 11 to May 8, 2026. The count started to surge from May 11 after Mr. Vijay’s swearing in as Chief Minister and the official profile photo was changed. 

TVK steadily built its presence in social media, especially Instagram and ‘X’. The followers count of the Chief Minister’s Office is presently 2.2 million and 4.16 lakh in ‘X’ (@CMOTamilnadu) and Facebook (Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu) respectively which officials say was much more than double compared to what it was a week ago. The followers count on Instagram crossed 2.1 million on Tuesday.

Gained traction after swearing-in

“We provide the photographs, video, and speech copies to the social media team and they upload the content across social media platforms. There has been a tremendous increase in the number of followers. The social media handles gained traction after the swearing-in of the Chief Minister,” a senior official handling the Social Media wing in the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), told The Hindu on Tuesday. 

Several handles with a large following of youth and students were active in the name of TVK as its youth wing or Information Technology team in different districts. “It is possible that they, along with the fans of the Chief Minister, followed the official handles of the Chief Minister’s Office,” the official said. 

He said the social media team functioning under the DIPR comprised well trained young engineering graduates. However, the support of an outsourced agency was being taken in the making of cards, reels, and videos. “We are in the process of standardising the team and processes to produce even better results in terms of quality and content.”

‘Virtual warriors’

Official sources said the contribution of followers, particularly the youth, was immense in promoting the leader and the party’s ideology in the run up to the elections. The propaganda machinery operating in the social media across boundaries was so impactful that Mr. Vijay thanked the ‘virtual warriors’ in his speech soon after becoming the Chief Minister, sources said. 

“Our leader was a celebrated actor in the film industry with a huge fan following. His entry to politics and subsequent winning with a massive mandate gave a new hope for the people that their life is set to change by way of good governance. The single largest achievement of the Chief Minister is the way he his handling politics positively and confidently,” K.G. Arunraj, Minister, said.