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Joseph Vijay expanded his Cabinet on Wednesday by inducting 23 legislators into the Council of Ministers, significantly strengthening his government.
Of the newly sworn-in ministers, 21 belong to Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), while two are from the alliance partner Indian National Congress. The latest expansion brings the total number of ministers in the Cabinet to 32.
However, key allies such as the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) are yet to be included. Both parties, which hold two seats each, play a crucial role in supporting the government. Sources indicate that each has been offered one ministerial position, but final nominations are still pending and expected to be announced later.
The TVK leadership has also extended invitations to supporting parties including VCK, CPI, CPM, and IUML to formally join the coalition government in the future.
The Cabinet expansion follows Vijay’s swearing-in on May 10, when he initially took office along with nine ministers. Under constitutional limits, the Tamil Nadu Cabinet can include up to 35 ministers. With the current expansion, only three positions remain available, likely to be allocated to alliance partners.
Among the Congress representatives inducted into the Cabinet are Rajesh Kumar and Thiru P. Vishwanathan, marking a significant political moment. This is the first time in nearly six decades that the Congress party has joined the Tamil Nadu government.
The last Congress-led administration in the state was under M. Bhaktavatsalam, whose tenure ended in 1967. In that year’s historic election, the party was defeated by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) led by C. N. Annadurai, after which Congress remained out of power in the state—until now.
