New Delhi (PTI): The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is likely to attend the swearing-in of new Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay in Chennai on Sunday.

Sources said Gandhi will attend the oath-taking ceremony, in which some other opposition leaders are also expected to be present.

Tamil Nadu Governor R V Arlekar on Saturday appointed popular actor and TVK chief Vijay as the chief minister. He will take the oath at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai at 10 am on Sunday.

Congress leader Manickam Tagore earlier congratulated Vijay on being appointed the chief minister, and said the state is looking forward to change and hope.

“People expect an inclusive Tamil Nadu founded on social justice, equality, development and humane governance. We believe that under your leadership, a people-centric, transparent, well-governed administration will be established,” Tagore said.

Vijay was appointed the chief minister after he presented letters of support from the VCK and the IUML, which have two MLAs each.

According to a Lok Bhavan release, Arlekar has asked Vijay to seek the vote of confidence on or before May 13.

Taking into account the support from the VCK and IUML, the TVK’s seat tally has now touched 120 in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.

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Bhubaneswar (PTI): Five people were killed and 31 injured in separate road accidents in Odisha, police said on Saturday.

Three persons were killed and one injured when a truck hit two motorcycles and a scooter on National Highway-16 passing through Bhubaneswar on Saturday evening, the police said.

The accident took place on the overbridge near Fire Station Chhak when four persons - two youths in one bike, one elderly man in another bike and one woman in a scooter - were on the way from Saheed Nagr to Khandagiri.

The police said three persons died on the spot, while the elderly man sustained critical injury and was rushed to a hospital for treatment. The impact of the accident was so severe that the skull of the woman was thrown on the road, they said.

However, the truck which hit the two wheelers fled from the accident site and was yet to be located. The police were yet to ascertain the identity of the deceased persons.

The accident caused a severe traffic jam on the NH-16 connecting Kolkata and Chennai.

Earlier on the day, two persons were killed and nearly 30 others injured in separate road accidents in Ganjam, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh districts in a span of 24 hours, police said.

In Ganjam district, a bus carrying around 30 pilgrims from Polasara to Puri collided head-on with a truck near Bali Dhaba on Kodala-Khalikote Road early on Saturday morning.

The truck driver was killed in the accident, while 15 others sustained injuries.

"The injured were shifted to Kodala hospital and two of them were later referred to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur," a police officer said.

In another accident in Mayurbhanj district, an SUV carrying wedding guests overturned after colliding with a truck on National Highway-18 near Nandasol Chhak within Betanati police station limits.

In all, 13 people were injured in the accident and admitted to PRM Medical College and Hospital in Baripada, police said.

In Sundergarh district, a motorcyclist was killed on the spot, while two others were seriously injured in an accident near Ghoghar Bundel jungle within Talsara police station limits on Friday night.

The trio was on its way to attend a wedding party, police said.