CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will witness its first multiparty ministry with at least 21 ministers likely to be inducted into Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s cabinet at a swearing-in ceremony to be held at 10 am in Lok Bhavan on Thursday. While 19 MLAs from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and two from Congress are likely to be sworn in, one each from Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Viduthalai Chiru-thaigal Katchi (VCK) may be inducted later, sources said.
The cabinet expansion comes two weeks after Vijay and nine TVK ministers assumed office on May 10. The event may also mark the end of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu as most of the constituents (barring the Left and DMDK) will now be part of the new TVK government.
The TVK MLAs likely to be inducted into the cabinet include J Mohamed Parvez (Aranthangi), D Sarathkumar (Tambaram), R Kumar (Velachery), C Vijayalakshmi (Kumarapalayam) and B Rajkumar (Cuddalore), among others. Tamil Nadu can have a maximum of 35 ministers, including the CM.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, in a post on X on Wednesday evening, said, “INC president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the induction of Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan into the TN cabinet. This is a historic occasion as the Congress joins the state cabinet after a gap of 59 years.”
VCK yet to declare official stand but may join TVK cabinet
After an open invitation by TVK minister Aadhav Arjuna to Congress, VCK, and IUML to join the cabinet earlier in the day, IUML national president K M Kader Mohideen on Wednesday evening said the party’s Political Advisory Committee had given its nod to join the Vijay’s cabinet.
Of the two MLAs, who would become the minister will be decided at the TN high-level committee meeting to be held in Chennai on Thursday 11 am, he said. Addressing reporters in Tiruchy, Mohideen said, “They (TVK) have given us a magnanimous invitation with goodwill to join the ministry.
We neither expected it nor demanded ministerial positions.” He reiterated that the IUML had extended unconditional support to the TVK government only to ensure political stability in TN and to prevent any possibility of BJP influence in the state. Although the VCK hasn’t officially declared its stand yet, sources said the party has decided to join the TVK cabinet.
While TVK is said to have offered Adi Dravidar welfare department, VCK deputy general secretary and Tindivanam MLA Vanni Arasu — the possible ministerial candidate of the VCK — has demanded agriculture, veterinary and cooperative departments. “There is no official word from TVK on portfolios. They have asked us to join the cabinet first,” the VCK leader said.
Responding to Aadhav Arjuna’s earlier invitation, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan said VCK will decide about it after consulting with frontline leaders. Sources said VCK has evaluated factors such as its decision to offer only external support to the TVK, mirroring the approach of Left parties, and the potential ramifications joining the government may have on its alliance with the DMK before deciding to join the government.