In a major political development in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on Thursday expanded his Council of Ministers by inducting 23 MLAs into the Cabinet, significantly reshaping the ruling arrangement in the state.
The oath-taking ceremony was held at Raj Bhavan Chennai, where Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly appointed ministers.
21 TVK MLAs Join Ministry
Out of the 23 newly inducted ministers, 21 belong to the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, marking a large-scale consolidation of the Chief Minister’s core team within the government.
The expansion is seen as a strategic move to strengthen administrative capacity and bring in fresh representation from different constituencies across the state.
Congress Makes Formal Entry Into Tamil Nadu Cabinet
In a significant political first in decades, two MLAs from the Indian National Congress have been inducted into the state Cabinet.
S Rajesh Kumar, elected from Killiyoor in Kanyakumari district, and P Viswanathan, MLA from Melur in Madurai district, took oath as ministers, marking the Congress party’s formal entry into the state government.
Political observers noted that this is a rare development in Tamil Nadu’s coalition history, as national parties have generally not been part of the executive in Dravidian-led governments since the late 1960s.
List of New Ministers Announced
The newly inducted ministers include representatives from multiple constituencies across the state:
- A Srinath (TVK)
- Kamali S (TVK)
- C Vijayalakshmi (TVK)
- RV Ranjithkumar (TVK)
- R Vinoth (TVK)
- Rajeev (TVK)
- B Rajkumar (TVK)
- V Gandhiraj (TVK)
- Mathan Raja P (TVK)
- Jegadeshwari K (TVK)
- S Rajesh Kumar (Congress)
- M Vijay Balaji (TVK)
- D Logesh Tamilselvan (TVK)
- A Vijay Tamilan Parthiban (TVK)
- Ramesh (TVK)
- P Viswanathan (Congress)
- R Kumar (TVK)
- K Thennarasu (TVK)
- V Sampath Kumar (TVK)
- J Mohamed Farvas (TVK)
- D Sarathkumar (TVK)
- N Marie Wilson (TVK)
- K Vignesh (TVK)
IUML and VCK Left Out for Now
Despite being key allies of the government, the Indian Union Muslim League and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi were not included in the current expansion.
Both parties hold two MLAs each and have been supporting the government, but their entry into the Cabinet has been deferred for a later phase.
Sources indicated that while both allies have expressed willingness to join the government, internal discussions are still underway regarding portfolio allocation and selection of representatives.
Future Expansion Possible Under Constitutional Limits
Under constitutional provisions, the Tamil Nadu Cabinet can have up to 35 ministers based on Assembly strength. With Thursday’s expansion, the total number of ministers in the Joseph Vijay-led government has risen to 32.
This leaves three ministerial berths vacant, which are expected to be allocated in future expansions, potentially accommodating remaining allies such as IUML and VCK.
Political Significance of the Expansion
The large-scale cabinet reshuffle is being viewed as a major consolidation exercise by the Chief Minister, aimed at strengthening governance, balancing coalition representation, and preparing for future administrative and electoral challenges in Tamil Nadu politics.
