The C. Joseph Vijay-led Tamil Nadu government on Thursday carried out its first major Cabinet expansion, inducting 23 new ministers into the Council of Ministers in a significant political and administrative reshuffle.
The expansion comes days after Vijay assumed office as Chief Minister following the Assembly elections, where his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly.
The swearing-in ceremony was held in Chennai, where Governor R. N. Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted ministers.
Congress returns to Tamil Nadu Cabinet
The Cabinet expansion also marked the return of the Congress to the Tamil Nadu ministry after several decades.
Congress MLAs S. Rajesh Kumar and P. Viswanathan were inducted into the ministry as part of the alliance arrangement supporting the Vijay-led government.
Leaders from alliance parties, including Thol. Thirumavalavan, attended the swearing-in ceremony alongside senior TVK leaders and legislators.
The inclusion of Congress ministers is being seen as an attempt to strengthen coalition coordination within the ruling alliance.
Expansion aimed at filling key portfolio gaps
Vijay had initially taken oath on May 10 along with nine ministers. Portfolio allocation for the first phase of the Cabinet was completed on May 16.
However, several major departments, including Agriculture, Forests, Revenue, Housing, Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), had not been assigned dedicated ministers, leading to speculation about an imminent expansion.
Officials said the enlarged ministry is expected to improve governance and ensure better distribution of responsibilities across departments.
The move is also aimed at improving regional representation in the government by accommodating leaders from different districts across Tamil Nadu.
Several first-time legislators inducted
Among those inducted into the expanded ministry were Srinath from Thoothukudi, Kamali S. from Avinashi, C. Vijayalakshmi from Kumarapalayam, R.V. Ranjithkumar from Kancheepuram, Vinoth from Kumbakonam and Rajeev from Thiruvadanai.
Other legislators sworn in included P. Rajkumar, V. Gandhiraj, P. Mathan Raja, K. Jegadeshwari, M. Vijay Balaji, T. Logesh Tamilselvan, A. Vijay Tamilan Parthiban, Ramesh, R. Kumar, K. Thennarasu and V. Sampath Kumar.
J. Mohammed Parvaz, T. Sarathkumar, N. Maria Wilson and K. Vignesh were also among the new ministers inducted into the Cabinet.
Vijay government seeks stronger administrative footing
The Vijay-led administration is expected to focus on governance reforms, welfare measures and infrastructure projects in the coming months as it settles into office.
The Cabinet expansion is also likely to strengthen the government’s outreach across different regions and communities in the state while balancing alliance expectations within the ruling coalition.
(With inputs from IANS)