Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Expands Cabinet; Rajesh Kumar and P Vishwanathan Sworn In as Ministers

May 21, 2026

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on Thursday expanded his cabinet as Rajesh Kumar and P Vishwanathan took oath as ministers at Lok Bhavan in Chennai.

Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath to the newly inducted ministers. The expansion comes after the Chief Minister recommended the induction of 23 MLAs into the Council of Ministers, which was approved by the Governor.

#WATCH | Chennai | TVK and Congress MLAs take oath as Tamil Nadu Ministers in the presence of CM Vijay and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar

The CM has recommended to induct 23 MLAs into the Council of Ministers and the state Governor approved the recommendation made by the… pic.twitter.com/6Svw7eJZKb

— ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2026

TVK-Led Coalition Government Strengthens Cabinet

With the latest expansion, 33 ministers have now taken oath in the 35-member Council of Ministers. Out of the current ministerial strength, 21 MLAs belong to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), while two ministers are from the Congress party.

Chief Minister Vijay and nine other MLAs had earlier taken oath on May 10 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai following the formation of the new government.

Congress leaders welcomed the cabinet expansion and described the government as a “secular progressive government.” Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President K Selvaperunthagai highlighted the party’s inclusion in the cabinet and termed it an important development for the alliance.

Vijay Says Cabinet Should Function “Like One Family”

Earlier, Tamil Nadu minister Aadhav Arjuna stated that Chief Minister Vijay wanted the cabinet to function “like one family” and ensure representation to all alliance partners supporting the government.

The TVK-led alliance secured a historic mandate in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with the party winning 108 out of 234 seats in its first electoral contest. The result marked the first time both major Dravidian parties were voted out of power in the state.

Although TVK fell short of a majority, it later received support from Congress, CPI-M, CPI, VCK and IUML, enabling Vijay to form the government.

Popularly known as “Thalapathy,” Vijay drew massive crowds during election rallies, with many comparing his political rise to actor-turned-politician and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran.