. CHENNAI: Congress made a comeback into govt in Tamil Nadu ending its 59-year exile, with two of its legislators among 23 new ministers sworn in, as CM C Joseph Vijay Thursday expanded his cabinet in an exercise that rewarded loyalists, accommodated allies and signalled attempt at rewriting social engineering in state politics. With 21 TVK ministers taking oath along with Congress’s P Viswanathan and S Rajesh Kumar, who were allocated higher education and tourism, TN now has 33 ministers. With the remaining two slots kept for IUML and VCK, there will be no room for the antiEPS AIADMK faction. In a significant political message, Vijay inducted seven Dalit ministers, the highest representation for the community in TN’s history. The number is expected to rise to eight once VCK joins the ministry.Vijay’s cabinet with 2 Brahmins bucks state’s political trendThe expansion also marked another departure from the state’s political trend, with Vijay inducting two Brahmins into the cabinet. While Mylapore MLA P Venkataramanan was made a minister in the first batch that was sworn in on May 10, Srirangam legislator S Ramesh was made the HR&CE minister on Thursday. There are four women ministers in the cabinet. Though the state had a similar number of women ministers in the past, the TVK cabinet will have youngest women ministers — Kamali, 28 (animal husbandry), and Keerthana, 29 (industries). This cabinet is also one of the youngest, with nine ministers less than 40 years old and two less than 30 years. Only four ministers are aged above 60, with K A Sengottaiyan being the oldest at 78 years. First-time MLA representing R K Nagar, Marie Wilson, has been made finance minister, replacing Sengottaiyan who has now been given revenue. Vijay’s friend Srinath has been allocated fisheries, while long-term functionary of Vijay’s fan association, Vinoth, has been made the agriculture minister.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCalcutta High Court Junks Pleas On West Bengal Cattle Slaughter Rules Ahead Of Bakr Eid‘Menon’ Surname Row: VD Satheesan Faces Heat From Kerala Congress Leaders Over Oath Name ChoiceIUML And VCK To Also Join Vijay Cabinet In Tamil Nadu, Expansion Tomorrow: ReportTMC Protests Against BJP Government Over Alleged Forced Eviction Of Hawkers In BengalTamil Nadu Cabinet Expansion: Congress MLAs Get Portfolios, Governor Stops Oath Praise Of LeadersNibe Successfully Tests Vayu Astra-1 Loitering Munition In Maiden TrialsCJP X Account Withheld In India After Crossing 200K Followers In Just Four Days | WatchFIR Sought Against Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Traitors’ Remark On PM Modi, Amit ShahAir India Flight AI2651 Hits Tail During Landing, Aircraft Grounded For Inspection At BengaluruViral Cockroach Janta Party Overtakes Congress And BJP In Instagram Followers Race | Watch123Photostories10 traditional Indian foods that PM Modi gifted world leaders during his 5-nation tourFrom chubby little Gangubai to a fit and fab young actress after losing 22 Kgs; Saloni Daini’s stunning transformation is inspiringDeepika Padukone’s Cannes looks through the yearsPlants that thrive during Indian monsoon without rotting5 desi Indian teas among the Top 50 Teas in the WorldVanessa Trump diagnosed with breast cancer: Inside her life after divorce with Donald Trump Jr.5 White foods you must avoid for good health5 real estate hotspots near newly-opened Navi Mumbai Airport seeing massive growthOptical illusion personality test: Fish, face or stars? What you see first reveals if you are easy-going, deep connector or big-picture visionaryCoconut water vs coconut milk: Which works better for summer hair growth?123Hot PicksBandra demolition driveIPL Schedule 2026Indian rupeeFalta VotingUK NET MigrationElon MuskTN Ministers ListTop TrendingTN Finance Minister Marie WilsonIPL Match TodayPappu SanaPM ModiHardik PandyaJEE Advanced Response SheetIPL Orange Cap 2026Conor McGregor Net WorthNEET UG Paper LeakWest Bengal Annapurna Yojana
CHENNAI: Congress made a comeback into govt in Tamil Nadu ending its 59-year exile, with two of its legislators among 23 new ministers sworn in, as CM C Joseph Vijay Thursday expanded his cabinet in an exercise that rewarded loyalists, accommodated allies and signalled attempt at rewriting social engineering in state politics. With 21 TVK ministers taking oath along with Congress’s P Viswanathan and S Rajesh Kumar, who were allocated higher education and tourism, TN now has 33 ministers. With the remaining two slots kept for IUML and VCK, there will be no room for the antiEPS AIADMK faction. In a significant political message, Vijay inducted seven Dalit ministers, the highest representation for the community in TN’s history. The number is expected to rise to eight once VCK joins the ministry.Vijay’s cabinet with 2 Brahmins bucks state’s political trendThe expansion also marked another departure from the state’s political trend, with Vijay inducting two Brahmins into the cabinet. While Mylapore MLA P Venkataramanan was made a minister in the first batch that was sworn in on May 10, Srirangam legislator S Ramesh was made the HR&CE minister on Thursday. There are four women ministers in the cabinet. Though the state had a similar number of women ministers in the past, the TVK cabinet will have youngest women ministers — Kamali, 28 (animal husbandry), and Keerthana, 29 (industries). This cabinet is also one of the youngest, with nine ministers less than 40 years old and two less than 30 years. Only four ministers are aged above 60, with K A Sengottaiyan being the oldest at 78 years. First-time MLA representing R K Nagar, Marie Wilson, has been made finance minister, replacing Sengottaiyan who has now been given revenue. Vijay’s friend Srinath has been allocated fisheries, while long-term functionary of Vijay’s fan association, Vinoth, has been made the agriculture minister.
