Vijay Expands Tamil Nadu Cabinet With 23 Ministers
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay expanded his Cabinet on Thursday, inducting 23 new ministers, including two Congress MLAs, in a major political development for the newly formed TVK-led government.
Tamil Nadu Cabinet Expansion
The swearing-in ceremony was held at Lok Bhavan in Chennai at 10 a.m., where Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office to the new ministers.
With the latest expansion, the number of ministers in the Vijay-led Cabinet has increased to 33, while the total strength of the council of ministers is 35. The expansion comes nearly two weeks after Vijay took oath as Chief Minister along with nine other MLAs on May 10.
Congress Returns To Tamil Nadu Cabinet
The expansion is historic because Congress has joined the Tamil Nadu Cabinet for the first time in nearly 59 years. Congress MLAs S. Rajesh Kumar from Killiyoor and P. Viswanathan from Melur were among those sworn in.
Rajesh Kumar is a three-time legislator from Kanyakumari district, while Viswanathan is a former MP from Kancheepuram and a senior Congress leader.
TVK Ministers Take Oath
Of the 23 ministers inducted, 21 are from Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. Several TVK MLAs, including Srinath, S. Kamali, C. Vijayalakshmi and R.V. Ranjithkumar, were sworn in during the ceremony.
The Cabinet expansion is expected to strengthen the new government’s administrative structure and give wider representation to the ruling alliance. However, the ceremony also drew attention due to a reported national anthem-related row, adding a political note to the otherwise formal event.
