The Chief Minister’s proposal to induct 23 MLAs into the Council of Ministers has been approved by the Tamil Nadu Governor.
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has put forward the recommendation to include 23 MLAs in the Council of Ministers, which the Governor has accepted for their appointment as Ministers. pic.twitter.com/LyLPrYJCGp
— ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2026
This development signifies Congress’s return to the Tamil Nadu government after a gap of 59 years. The induction of S Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan as ministers was authorized after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s approval.
Rajesh Kumar is the elected representative from the Killiyoor constituency in Kanniyakumari district, while Viswanathan represents Melur in Madurai district.
Confirming the decision, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal stated, “The induction of INC MLAs Adv. Rajesh Kumar and Thiru P Vishwanathan into the Tamil Nadu cabinet led by CM Thiru Vijay has been endorsed by INC President Mallikarjun Kharge, and they will be sworn in as Ministers tomorrow.”
“This marks a historic moment for us, as Congress joins the Tamil Nadu cabinet after an extended period of 59 years!” he added in a post on X.
Hon’ble INC President Sh. Mallikarjun @kharge ji has given the go-ahead for the inclusion of INC MLAs Adv. Rajesh Kumar and Thiru P. Vishwanathan into the Tamil Nadu cabinet led by CM Thiru Vijay, with their oath-taking set for tomorrow.
This occasion is historic for us, as the…
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) May 20, 2026
Currently, Congress holds five MLAs in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The party participated in the recent elections as part of the DMK-led coalition. However, following Vijay’s TVK’s failure to secure a majority in the 234-member Assembly, Congress offered its support during the formation of the government.
The last time Congress held power in the state was between 1952 and 1967, when it was known as Madras State. During that tenure, the party had three Chief Ministers: C Rajagopalachari, K Kamaraj, and M Bhaktavatsalam. The DMK’s victory over Congress in 1967 marked the beginning of Congress’s absence from the Tamil Nadu government, even after forming alliances with both the DMK and AIADMK in the years since.
Power-sharing had consistently been a contentious issue between Congress and the DMK. During the 2006-11 DMK administration, Congress sought representation in the Cabinet, but their request was denied. Ahead of the recent Assembly elections, Congress again requested a share in power, but DMK chief MK Stalin insisted that such an arrangement would not be feasible in Tamil Nadu.
Vijay, who established TVK in 2024, had signaled a willingness to collaborate with allies on power-sharing. Following the Assembly election results announced on May 4, where TVK was 10 seats short of a majority, the support from Congress enabled its entry into the government.
