Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has expanded his cabinet to 34 ministers, strengthening his coalition government by inducting leaders from alliance partners Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Latest Cabinet Expansion
On May 22, a day after 23 MLAs were sworn into the Council of Ministers, VCK MLA Vanni Arasu and IUML leader S.M. Shah Jahan took oath as ministers at Lok Bhavan, formally bringing both parties into the Vijay-led government.
Shah Jahan has been assigned the Ministry for Minority Welfare, while Vanni Arasu will head the Ministry of Social Justice.
Previous Expansion
The latest expansion follows the swearing-in ceremony held on May 21, during which 21 MLAs from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and two legislators from the ally Indian National Congress joined the ministry.
Congress MLAs Rajesh Kumar and Thiru P. Viswanathan were inducted, marking a historic moment as the Congress became part of a ruling coalition in Tamil Nadu for the first time in nearly six decades. The last Congress-led government in the state was under M. Bhaktavatsalam, whose tenure ended in March 1967.
Social Representation
With Vanni Arasu's induction, the Vijay government now has eight Dalit ministers, the highest proportional representation for the community in any Tamil Nadu cabinet so far.
Vijay, who first took oath as Chief Minister along with nine ministers on May 10, now leads a near-full cabinet. Under constitutional provisions, Tamil Nadu can have a maximum of 35 ministers, leaving just one vacancy after the latest expansion.
The cabinet reshuffle signals Vijay's effort to balance coalition politics, social representation, and regional inclusivity as his government settles into power.
