What changed in Vijay’s Cabinet expansion? New ministers, Congress entry and portfolio buzz
Chennai: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay expanded his Cabinet on May 21 by inducting 23 more legislators into the ministry during a swearing-in ceremony held at Lok Bhavan in Chennai.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers.
Earlier, 10 members, including Vijay himself, had taken oath on May 10 after the formation of the government. With the latest expansion, the total strength of the Tamil Nadu Cabinet has now reached 33 ministers.
Congress joins Tamil Nadu government after 59 years
One of the biggest political developments in the Cabinet expansion was the Congress party formally joining the Tamil Nadu government after a gap of 59 years.
Congress MLAs S. Rajesh Kumar and P. Viswanathan were sworn in as ministers, marking the party’s first direct participation in a Tamil Nadu government since the fall of Congress rule in 1967.
The Congress had extended early support to Vijay after the TVK fell short of the majority mark following the Assembly elections.
Congress general secretary K. C. Venugopal had earlier confirmed that party president Mallikarjun Kharge approved the inclusion of the two legislators in the ministry.
Who are the Congress ministers?
1. S. Rajesh Kumar: S. Rajesh Kumar, elected from Killiyoor in Kanniyakumari district, took oath as minister in the Vijay-led government.
The senior Congress leader won the constituency for a third consecutive term and currently serves as the Congress Legislature Party leader in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
He comes from a political family and holds a law degree from Bangalore University along with a postgraduate degree from Vinayaka Missions University.
2. P. Viswanathan: P. Viswanathan, who won from the Melur Assembly segment in Madurai district, also joined the ministry.
A former banker, he became the only Scheduled Caste candidate to win from a general constituency in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election.
He earlier served as a Member of Parliament representing Kancheepuram between 2009 and 2014.
Key faces inducted into Vijay’s Cabinet
Several prominent TVK legislators and political figures were inducted into the expanded Cabinet.
- A. Srinath: A long-time associate and friend of Vijay, A. Srinath won from Thoothukudi by defeating former DMK minister P. Geetha Jeevan. He had also worked alongside Vijay during his early film career.
- S. Kamali: Twenty-eight-year-old S. Kamali became one of the youngest ministers in the Cabinet. She defeated Union Minister of State L. Murugan from the Avinashi constituency.
- C. Vijayalakshmi: TVK leader C. Vijayalakshmi was inducted after defeating former AIADMK minister P. Thangamani in Kumarapalayam.
- D. Lokesh Tamilselvan: The son of former Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal, D. Lokesh Tamilselvan joined the ministry after winning from Rasipuram. He had previously been associated with the AIADMK before joining TVK.
- V. Sampathkumar: V. Sampathkumar, elected from Coimbatore North, defeated BJP leader Vanathi Srinivasan in the election.
Tamil Nadu Cabinet ministers and portfolios
- N Anand – Rural Development and Irrigation
- Aadhav Arjuna – Public Works and Sports Development
- K.G. Arunraj – Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare
- P. Venkataramanan – Food and Civil Supplies
- S Keerthana – Industries
- R Nirmalkumar – Energy, Law, Courts, Prisons, Elections
- K.A. Sengottaiyan – Revenue and Disaster Management
- Srinath – Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare
- Kamali S – Animal Husbandry
- C Vijayalakshmi – Milk and Dairy Development
- R V Ranjithkumar – Forests
- Vinoth – Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- Rajeev – Environment and Climate Change
- B Rajkumar – Housing and Urban Development
- V Gandhiraj – Cooperation
- P. Mathan Raja – MSMEs
- Jegadeshwari K – Social Welfare and Women Empowerment
- S Rajesh Kumar – Tourism
- M Vijay Balaji – Handlooms, Textiles and Khadi
- D Lokesh Tamilselvan – Commercial Taxes and Registration
- Vijay Tamilan Parthiban A – Transport
- Ramesh – Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments
- Rajmohan – School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity
- P Viswanathan – Higher Education
- Dr T.K. Prabhu – Natural Resources
- Kumar R – Artificial Intelligence, IT and Digital Services
- Thennarasu K – Non-Resident Tamils Welfare
- V Sampath Kumar – Backward Classes Welfare
- Mohamed Farvas J – Labour Welfare and Skill Development
- D Sarathkumar – Human Resources Management
- N Marie Wilson – Finance, Planning and Development
- Vignesh K – Prohibition and Excise
Coalition politics reshapes Tamil Nadu
The Cabinet expansion signals a major political shift in Tamil Nadu, where governments have traditionally been dominated by single-party Dravidian rule.
TVK has also invited the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) to join the government, indicating that another round of Cabinet expansion may take place later.
Minister Aadhav Arjuna said the Chief Minister wanted alliance partners to function “like one family” within the government.
The move is being seen as the beginning of a coalition-style political arrangement in Tamil Nadu under Vijay’s leadership.
Why the expansion matters politically
The expansion highlights Vijay’s attempt to balance governance stability with alliance management at a crucial stage of his political career.
Political observers believe the inclusion of Congress and the outreach to other allies signals that TVK wants to build a broader anti-DMK and anti-AIADMK coalition while maintaining ideological cohesion.
The decision also distances the government from depending heavily on AIADMK rebels who had earlier supported Vijay during the trust vote.