Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on Thursday carried out the first major expansion of his government, inducting 23 legislators into the state cabinet in a move aimed at strengthening the newly formed TVK administration. Of the newly sworn-in ministers, 21 belong to the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), while two legislators are from the Congress party, marking the party’s return to the Tamil Nadu government after nearly six decades.

The swearing-in ceremony was held at Lok Bhavan in Chennai, where Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the ministers. Senior political leaders, alliance representatives, and party supporters attended the event. Congress MLAs Rajesh Kumar and P. Vishwanathan were among those inducted into the cabinet. Their inclusion is being seen as an important political signal from the Vijay-led government as it attempts to maintain coalition stability and widen its support base in the Assembly.

The cabinet expansion comes less than two weeks after Vijay took oath as Chief Minister following the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, where TVK emerged as the single-largest party. Political observers believe the latest expansion reflects an effort to balance governance responsibilities with regional and alliance representation.

Interestingly, alliance partners such as the VCK and IUML did not receive ministerial berths in this round of expansion. However, reports suggest discussions within the ruling alliance are still ongoing and further inductions may take place in the coming months. The expansion also highlights Vijay’s rapid transformation from film superstar to a central figure in Tamil Nadu politics. With a larger cabinet now in place, attention is expected to shift toward governance, portfolio allocations, and the government’s first major policy decisions. Political analysts say the coming weeks will be crucial for the TVK government as it seeks to maintain alliance unity while delivering on election promises and managing rising public expectations across the state.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from NDTV.