Nearly two weeks after forming the government, the Cabinet led by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay was expanded on Thursday with the inclusion of 23 new members, including two Congress MLAs – the first in nearly six decades.
The swearing-in ceremony began at Lok Bhavan at 10 am, with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlikar administering oath to the appointed ministers. TVK MLAs, including Srinath, S Kamali, C Vijayalakshmi and RV Ranjithkumar, were initially sworn in as ministers.
While the recent expansion has taken the number of ministers in the CM Vijay-led government to 33, the total strength of the council is 35.
Complete list of leaders who were sworn in
Rajesh Kumar S-Killior (Congress)
P. Viswanathan-Mellor (Congress)
Srinath – Thoothukudi
Kamali S – Avinashi
C. Vijayalakshmi – Kumarapalayam
R.V. Ranjithkumar – Kancheepuram
Vinoth – Kumbakonam
Rajeev – Thiruvadhanai
for. Rajkumar – Cuddalore
V. Gandhiraj – Arakkonam
Mathan Raja B – Ottabidaram
Jejadeshwari K – Rajapalayam
M. Vijay Balaji – Erosion of the East
Logesh Tamilselvan D – Rasipuram
Vijay Tamilan Parthiban A – Salem South
Ramesh – Srirangam
Kumar R – Velachery
Thenarasu K – Sriperumbudur
In Sampath Kumar – North Coimbatore
Muhammad Farfas J – Arantangi
Dr. Sarathkumar – Tambaram
n. Mary Wilson – Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar
Vignesh K – Kinathukadavu
Of the total cabinet composition, 21 MPs are from Vijay’s Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) and two from Congress. Prime Minister Vijay, along with nine other MLAs, had earlier taken oath on May 10 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.
“This is a historic occasion for us, as the Congress is joining the Tamil Nadu government after a long gap of 59 years,” Venugopal wrote in a post on X on Wednesday, conveying his best wishes to the two party leaders who have joined the government.
Congress MLAs who took oath
Rajesh Kumar, a seasoned politician and three-time legislator from Kiliyur constituency in Kanyakumari district, took oath on Thursday to join the Tamil Nadu government. Rajesh Kumar, 51, is also the former president of Kanyakumari West Local Congress Committee.
In the 2026 Assembly elections, he polled 66,434 votes defeating Tamilaga candidate Vetri Kazhagam S Sabin by 1,311 votes.
P Viswanathan, another veteran politician elected from Madurai’s Melur constituency, is the second Congress leader to join the Vijay-led government on Thursday. Viswanathan, 61, is a postgraduate and also a practicing advocate. He has held various responsibilities in the Congress and was also elected as the MP from Kancheepuram constituency in 2009. He is also the All India Congress Committee in-charge of Telangana.
He polled 60,080 votes in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections defeating TVK candidate A Maduraiveeran by 2,724 votes.
