Overview
- The Vijay-led TVK government expanded its ministry on Thursday by swearing in Congress MLAs S Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan at Lok Bhavan in Chennai.
- The two inductions raised the Council of Ministers to 33 of the sanctioned 35 members, with 21 ministers from TVK and two from Congress.
- Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oaths and stopped S Rajesh Kumar from adding partisan praise to the oath, telling him to read the prescribed text.
- Congress leaders welcomed the berths as fulfillment of the post-election alliance mandate and noted the party’s return to the Tamil Nadu cabinet after nearly six decades.
- The expansion reflects TVK’s need to share power after winning 108 of 234 seats in the May election and officials have signaled that further adjustments or additions to the ministry may follow.