Chennai
oi-Prakash KL
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay expanded his cabinet on Thurday as 23 new MLAs are ready to join the TVK government today.Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath to the newly inducted ministers at Lok Bhavan in Chennai.
With the induction of 23 legislators, 33 ministers have now taken the oath. Of the total ministerial composition, 21 MLAs are from the Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and 2 are from the Congress.
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government in Tamil Nadu, led by C Joseph Vijay, is set to expand its Cabinet on Thursday, inducting Congress legislators S Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan. This marks the Congress party’s return to power after decades and signifies a shift towards inclusive coalition governance.
It has to be noted that Chief Minister Vijay, along with nine other MLAs, had earlier taken oath on May 10 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.
On Thursday, two Congress legislators will be sworn in as ministers, marking the national party’s return to power in Tamil Nadu after a long absence. This development is significant, as the state’s dominant Dravidian parties – the DMK and AIADMK – have historically resisted accommodating allies in government, despite having electoral partnerships with the Congress at different times.
The Congress last held sway in Tamil Nadu before the rise of the Dravidian movement. In 1967, DMK founder and stalwart C N Annadurai led his party to a decisive victory, ending Congress rule and establishing the first non-Congress government in post-independent India. Since then, the Congress has remained a junior partner in alliances but has not been part of the ruling Cabinet until now.
On Wednesday, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal confirmed that legislators S Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan would take oath as ministers in Vijay’s Cabinet. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for 10 am at the Lok Bhavan. However, officials have not clarified how many ministers will be inducted in total. Rajesh Kumar represents Killiyoor in Kanyakumari district, while Viswanathan was elected from Melur in Madurai.
#WATCH | Chennai | TVK and Congress MLAs take oath as Tamil Nadu Ministers in the presence of CM Vijay and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
The CM has recommended to induct 23 MLAs into the Council of Ministers and the state Governor approved the recommendation made by the… pic.twitter.com/6Svw7eJZKb
— ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2026
The inclusion of Congress ministers reflects TVK’s broader strategy of coalition-building. Aadhav Arjuna, Minister for Public Works and Sports Development and a senior TVK leader, publicly urged the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) to join the government. He emphasised that this was the wish of Chief Minister Vijay, signalling a deliberate move towards inclusive governance.
For the Congress, this moment is both symbolic and practical. It re-establishes the party’s presence in Tamil Nadu’s administration after decades of exclusion and offers a platform to influence policy in a state where Dravidian parties have long dominated. For TVK, it strengthens the government’s political base by bringing in allies who can broaden its appeal and consolidate support across diverse constituencies.
| SI. No. | Name and Constituencies |
|---|---|
| 1. | Srinath (Thoothukudi) |
| 2. | Kamali. S (Avinashi) |
| 3. | C. Vijayalakshmi (Kumarapalayam ) |
| 4. | R.V. Ranjithkumar (Kancheepuram) |
| 5. | Vinoth (Kumbakonam) |
| 6. | Rajeev (Thiruvadanai) |
| 7. | B. Rajkumar (Cuddalore) |
| 8. | V. Gandhiraj (Arakkonam) |
| 9. | Mathan Raja. P (Ottapidaram) |
| 10. | Jegadeshwari. K (Rajapalayam) |
| 11. | Rajesh Kumar. S (Killiyoor) – Congress |
| 12. | M. Vijay Balaji (Erode East) |
| 13. | Logesh Tamilselvan D (Rasipuram) |
| 14. | Vijay Tamilan Parthiban. A (Salem South) |
| 15. | Ramesh (Srirangam) |
| 16. | P. Viswanathan (Melur) – Congress |
| 17. | Kumar. R (Velachery) |
| 18. | Thennarasu. K (Sriperumpudhur) |
| 19. | V. Sampath Kumar (Coimbatore North) |
| 20. | Mohamed Farvas. J (Aranthangi) |
| 21. | D. Sarathkumar (Tambaram) |
| 22. | N. Marie Wilson (Radhakrishnan Nagar) |
| 23. | Vignesh K (Kinathukadavu) |
The expansion of the Cabinet, therefore, is more than a routine political exercise. It represents a shift in Tamil Nadu’s political culture, where coalition partners are now being given a share in governance. Whether this experiment in inclusivity will endure remains to be seen, but for now, it marks a notable chapter in the state’s evolving political landscape.
