CM Vijay-led Cabinet in Tamil Nadu expands to 33; Congress joins government after 59 years

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay-led Tamil Nadu Cabinet on Thursday (May 21, 2026) expanded from 10 to 33 with the induction of 23 new MLAs, including two from the Congress, making it the State’s first coalition government.

Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the Minister-designates at Lok Bhavan in Chennai in the presence of Mr. Vijay. With the induction of Congress MLAs into the Cabinet, the party has joined the government after 59 years.

Meet the new Ministers in Tamil Nadu CM Vijay’s expanded Cabinet

The Cabinet expansion took place almost 10 days after Mr. Vijay and nine other MLAs, all from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), were sworn in as Chief Minister and Ministers, respectively, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on May 10.

Mr. Vijay’s Cabinet is likely to undergo one more round of expansion, as the TVK has extended an open invitation to the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), both of which contested as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) and have two MLAs each.

The newly inducted Ministers are A. Srinath (Thoothukudi), S. Kamali (Avinashi), C. Vijayalakshmi (Kumarapalayam), R.V. Ranjithkumar (Kancheepuram), V.K. Rajeev (Thiruvadanai), R. Vinoth (Kumbakonam), B. Rajkumar (Cuddalore), V. Gandhiraj (Arakkonam), P. Mathanraja (Ottapidaram), K. Jegadeeshwari (Rajapalayam), S. Rajesh Kumar (Killiyoor), M. Vijay Balaji (Erode East), D. Lokesh Tamilselvan (Rasipuram), A. Vijay Tamilan Parthiban (Salem South), S. Ramesh (Srirangam), P. Viswanathan (Melur), R. Kumar (Velachery), K. Thennarasu (Sriperumbudur), V. Sampathkumar (Coimbatore North), J. Mohamed Farvas (Aranthangi), D. Sarathkumar (Tambaram), N. Marie Wilson (Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar), and K. Vignesh (Kinathukadavu).

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar, former Speaker P. Dhanapal, Ministers, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Tamil Nadu Girish Chodankar, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K. Selvaperunthagai, VCK president Thol. Thirumavalavan, Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) State secretary P. Shanmugam, and Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary M. Veerapandian, were among others present.