Vijay Expands Cabinet with 23 Ministers Today in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay is set to expand his Cabinet on Thursday with the induction of 23 legislators into the state council of ministers. The Cabinet expansion will include 21 MLAs from Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and two legislators from alliance partner Congress, marking the first major reshuffle and strengthening exercise of the newly formed state government. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place amid growing political attention on the composition of the ruling alliance and the distribution of ministerial portfolios.

According to party sources, the majority of the new ministers belong to the ruling TVK, reflecting the party’s dominant position within the coalition government. The Congress, a key alliance partner, has secured two ministerial berths as part of the power-sharing arrangement. Leaders joining the Cabinet reportedly include several first-time ministers alongside experienced legislators who played important roles during the recent Assembly election campaign and the formation of the Vijay-led government.

Among the TVK legislators expected to take an oath are Srinath, Kamali S, C Vijayalakshmi, RV Ranjithkumar, Vinoth, Rajeev, B Rajkumar, V Gandhiraj, Mathan Raja P, Jegadeshwari K, Rajesh Kumar S, M Vijay Balaji, Logesh Tamilselvan D, Vijay Tamilan Parthiban A, Ramesh, P Viswanathan, Kumar R, Thennarasu K, V Sampath Kumar, Mohamed Farvas J, D Sarathkumar, N Marie Wilson, and Vignesh K. The two Congress MLAs set to join the ministry are Rajesh Kumar and Thiru P. Vishwanathan, according to information shared ahead of the ceremony.

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Despite the broad-based Cabinet expansion, two significant alliance partners — the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) — have not yet joined the government. Both parties hold two MLAs each and are considered politically important for maintaining the coalition’s overall strength and social representation. Their absence from the current expansion has triggered speculation regarding ongoing discussions over portfolio allocation and representation within the Cabinet structure.

Sources familiar with the negotiations stated that both the IUML and VCK have been offered one Cabinet berth each by the ruling alliance. However, the parties are yet to finalize and communicate the names of their ministerial nominees. Government insiders indicated that representatives from both parties are likely to be inducted into the ministry at a later stage once internal consultations and alliance-level discussions are completed. The delayed inclusion is not being viewed as a breakdown in relations but rather as part of ongoing coalition coordination.

The Cabinet expansion is being closely watched as a major political step for the Vijay-led administration, which came to power after a high-profile electoral campaign in Tamil Nadu. Political observers believe the induction of ministers from different regions and communities is aimed at strengthening governance, balancing alliance interests, and consolidating the government’s position in the State Assembly. The expansion also signals the administration’s effort to transition from election mode to a broader governance agenda focused on administration, welfare delivery, and coalition stability.

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