‘Historic Return After 59 Years’: Congress Joins Tamil Nadu Cabinet As Vijay Expands Ministry

Chennai: In a major political milestone for Tamil Nadu politics, the Congress on Thursday officially became part of the state government after nearly six decades, as Chief Minister Vijay expanded his Cabinet and inducted 23 more ministers into the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government.

With the latest expansion, 33 ministerial berths in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet have now been filled, marking the first full-scale expansion of the Vijay-led administration after it survived the Assembly floor test earlier this week.

The Congress has returned to the Tamil Nadu Cabinet after 59 years. The last time the party was part of the state government was in 1967 before the Dravidian era permanently altered Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.

Two Congress MLAs, Advocate Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan, will be part of the government, formally cementing the Congress-TVK post-poll alliance that helped Vijay cross the majority mark in the Assembly.

Apart from the two Congress leaders, 21 TVK MLAs also took oath as ministers, significantly expanding Vijay’s governing team and distributing portfolios across alliance partners and party loyalists.

Congress Calls It ‘Historic’

Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal had announced the names of Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan for induction into the Cabinet on Wednesday and described the development as a “historic occasion” for the party.

“Congress joins the Tamil Nadu Cabinet after a long gap of 59 years,” Venugopal had said, expressing confidence that the ministers would work towards “welfare and pro-people governance”.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore, too, hailed the move as the beginning of “a new chapter” in Tamil Nadu politics and credited Vijay for honouring his promise of giving alliance partners a share in governance.

“Now, after 59 years, two Khadi-clad Congress ministers have secured a place in the Cabinet. For thousands of Congress cadres like me, this is an emotional and historic moment,” Tagore posted on X.

The Congress had won five seats in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and later backed TVK in government formation after breaking away from the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance amid dramatic post-poll political realignments.

Out of the five Congress MLAs, two have now been accommodated in the ministry.

Who Are The Congress Ministers?

Rajesh Kumar won from Killiyoor by a razor-thin margin of 1,311 votes against TVK candidate Sabin S, while P Viswanathan emerged victorious from Melur with a margin of 2,724 votes against TVK’s A Maduraiveeran.

Sources indicated that portfolio allocation discussions continued till late Wednesday night, with the possibility of reshuffling responsibilities among the ministers already inducted alongside Vijay during the first phase of government formation.

Earlier, 10 ministers had taken oath with Vijay after the government was sworn in.

Vijay Expands Cabinet Amid Coalition Balancing

The Cabinet expansion comes at a politically sensitive moment for Vijay, who has been carefully balancing alliance compulsions while trying to stabilise his first government.

TVK minister Aadhav Arjuna had recently stressed that the Chief Minister wanted the Cabinet to function “like one family” and ensure adequate representation for parties that supported the government.

“The Chief minister wants the Cabinet to function like one family. The Chief Minister wants the parties that extended support to be represented in the Cabinet,” Arjuna had said.

The Vijay-led government had won the floor test in the Assembly with 144 votes in favour, receiving support from Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK, IUML and expelled AMMK MLA S Kamaraj.

DMK-AIADMK Era Faces New Political Reality

The Congress’ return to the Tamil Nadu Cabinet also carries symbolic political weight as it marks a decisive shift away from decades of bipolar DMK-AIADMK dominance.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore accused both DMK and AIADMK of refusing to share power with allies in the past and said the people had now “delivered their verdict” in favour of coalition governance.

The expansion is expected to further consolidate Vijay’s position as he attempts to transition from electoral disruptor to administrator while managing expectations from allies, supporters and first-time ministers.

ALSO READ: BIG REPUBLIC IMPACT: Madhya Pradesh Govt Orders Probe Against Ex-Judge And Twisha Sharma’s Mother-In-Law Giri Bala