Chennai: Tamil Nadu is set to witness a historic political moment as the Congress prepares to enter the state cabinet after nearly 59 years, with two of its MLAs expected to take oath as ministers in the government led by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the names of Rajesh Kumar and P Vishwanathan for induction into the cabinet. Their swearing in is expected to take place on Thursday, marking the Congress party’s return to a governing role in Tamil Nadu after its long absence from power since the post 1967 political shift in the state.
The development is being watched closely because it comes soon after Vijay formed the government in Tamil Nadu following a dramatic election result. TVK emerged as the largest party, but it did not have a comfortable majority on its own, making support from allies crucial for the stability of the new government.
For the Congress, the moment is deeply symbolic. The party once dominated Tamil Nadu politics before the rise of Dravidian parties changed the state’s political direction in 1967. Since then, power in Tamil Nadu largely revolved around the DMK and AIADMK. The entry of Congress ministers into Vijay’s cabinet therefore marks not just a coalition adjustment, but a major political comeback in a state where the party had remained on the margins of government for decades.
According to reports, Rajesh Kumar and P Vishwanathan are likely to represent the Congress in the cabinet. Vishwanathan’s selection is being seen as socially significant because he is a Dalit leader who won from a general seat. Rajesh Kumar, who leads the Congress legislature party, is also expected to bring organisational weight to the new arrangement.
The timing has added emotional and political resonance. The move comes around the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated in Tamil Nadu in 1991. For Congress workers, the return to government in the state on such an occasion carries strong sentimental value.
The cabinet expansion also signals Vijay’s attempt to run a broader coalition government. Reports suggest that his administration is moving towards power sharing with alliance partners, a significant shift in Tamil Nadu’s political culture where single party dominance had been the norm for decades.
However, the road ahead may not be easy. TVK’s victory has already drawn political criticism, with PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss saying the result should not be seen as a “tsunami” because the party failed to win seats in several districts and remained short of an outright majority.
For Vijay, cabinet expansion is the first major test of political management after his spectacular rise from cinema to power. For the Congress, it is a rare opening to regain relevance in Tamil Nadu’s power structure. Together, the move could reshape equations in a state that has entered a new political chapter after decades of familiar rivalry between the DMK and AIADMK.