In a historic political shift that reshapes the Dravidian political landscape, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay expanded his Council of Ministers today. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office to 23 newly inducted MLAs during a grand swearing-in ceremony held at Lok Bhavan in Chennai.
The mega cabinet expansion marks the transition of the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government into a structured coalition. Most notably, the move brings the Congress party back into the corridors of power in Tamil Nadu after a 59-year hiatus, dating back to 1967. The TVK emerged as the single largest party in the 2026 Assembly elections with 108 seats and formed the government with the crucial backing of Congress, VCK, Left parties, and the IUML.
Major Shuffles and Key Strategic Portfolios
While expanding the team, Chief Minister Vijay executed a tactical reshuffle of top ministerial assignments to optimize governance and satisfy coalition equations.
1. The Power Shift in Finance
Senior leader K.A. Sengottaiyan, who initially held the Finance portfolio, has been shifted to Revenue and Disaster Management. The critical Finance, Planning, and Development ministries have now been entrusted to high-profile new inductee N. Marie Wilson, representing the Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency in Chennai.
2. Congress Marks Its Entry
Two senior Congress legislators were given prominent cabinet berths, establishing their administrative footprints:
- S. Rajesh Kumar (MLA from Killiyoor) has taken oath as the new Minister for Tourism.
- P. Viswanathan (MLA from Melur segment, Madurai) has assumed charge as the Minister for Higher Education.
3. Chief Minister Retains Core Control
Chief Minister Vijay continues to hold centralized control over the state’s security apparatus and key municipal bodies. His retained portfolios include Home, Police, General Administration, Public, Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply, and Special Programme Implementation.
Complete Tamil Nadu Cabinet Ministers List (2026)
Below is the structured list of ministers, their constituencies, and their allocated portfolios following the latest May 21 administrative update:
| S.No | Minister Name | Constituency | Portfolios Allocated |
| 1 | C. Joseph Vijay (Chief Minister) | Perambur / Tiruchi East | Home, Police, Public, General Administration, Municipal Administration, Urban & Water Supply, Special Programme Implementation, Welfare of Women, Youth, Children, Senior Citizens, and Differently Abled Persons. |
| 2 | N. (“Bussy”) Anand | T. Nagar | Rural Development and Water Resources |
| 3 | Aadhav Arjuna | Villivakkam | Public Works and Sports Development (Buildings, Highways, and Minor Ports) |
| 4 | Dr. K.G. Arunraj | Tiruchengode | Health, Medical Education, and Family Welfare |
| 5 | K.A. Sengottaiyan | Gobichettipalayam | Revenue and Disaster Management |
| 6 | N. Marie Wilson | Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar | Finance, Planning, and Development |
| 7 | P. Venkataramanan | Mylapore | Food and Civil Supplies |
| 8 | R. Nirmalkumar (C.T.R. Nirmalkumar) | Thirupparankundram | Energy Resources and Law |
| 9 | A. Play Rajmohan | Egmore | School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity |
| 10 | Dr. T.K. Prabhu | Karaikudi | Natural Resources |
| 11 | Selvi S. Keerthana | Sivakasi | Industries |
| 12 | S. Rajesh Kumar (Congress) | Killiyoor | Tourism |
| 13 | P. Viswanathan (Congress) | Melur | Higher Education |
| 14 | Mohamed Farvas | Aranthangi | Labour Welfare and Skill Development |
Newly Inducted Cabinet Ministers (Detailed Portfolios Pending Final Gazette Notification)
The following 19 legislators also took their oaths today at Raj Bhavan. Their specific department distributions are currently being finalized by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat:
- Srinath (Thoothukudi)
- Kamal (Avinashi)
- C. Vijayalakshmi (Kumarapalayam)
- R.V. Ranjithkumar (Kancheepuram)
- Vinoth (Kumbakonam)
- Rajeev (Thiruvadanai)
- B. Rajkumar (Cuddalore)
- V. Gandhiraj (Arakkonam)
- Mathan Raja (Ottapidaram)
- K. Jegadeshwar (Rajapalayam)
- M. Vijay Bala (Erode East)
- Logesh Tamilselvan D (Rasipuram)
- Vijay Tamilan Parthiban A (Salem South)
- Ramesh (Srirangam)
- Kumar R (Velachery)
- K. Thennarasu (Sriperumbudur)
- V. Sampath Kumar (Coimbatore North)
- D. Sarathkumar (Tambaram)
- Vignesh K (Kinathukadavu)
Future Outlook: Releasing the White Paper
The TVK-led administration, backed by its newly expanded council, has indicated that its first unified action will be the release of an economic White Paper on Tamil Nadu’s financial health. With senior bureaucrats Dr. P. Senthilkumar and G. Laxmi Priya taking charge of the Chief Minister’s core administrative office, the new coalition aims to hit the ground running with systematic infrastructural reviews and state-wide governance implementations.