The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam administration has officially transitioned into a coalition government following the induction of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) into the Council of Ministers.
At a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan on Friday, Governor Rajendra Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to VCK legislator Vanni Arasu and IUML lawmaker A. M. Shahjahan. With these fresh inductions, the cabinet headed by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has reached its maximum constitutional limit of 35 ministers. The political realignment brings the Indian National Congress, VCK, and IUML into the government as post-poll allies, while the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) continue to provide support from the outside.
The expanded cabinet sets a historic milestone for Tamil Nadu politics by featuring seven Dalit ministers, the highest number in the state's legislative history. This cohort includes A. Rajmohan, S. Kamali, V. Gandhiraj, P. Mathan Raja, D. Logesh Tamilselvan, K. Thennarasu, and P. Viswanathan, who achieved distinction as the only Dalit candidate elected from a general constituency in the recent assembly elections.
In tandem with the expansion, Chief Minister Vijay has restructured key portfolios, assigning A. M. Shahjahan the Minorities Welfare portfolio along with oversight of the Wakf Board, while Vanni Arasu has been appointed to lead the newly created Social Justice Department. This consolidated ministry now encompasses Adi Dravidar Welfare and Hill Tribes Welfare, marking a distinct departure from the administrative models traditionally favoured by both the DMK and the AIADMK, under which Adi Dravidar Welfare functioned as an independent, standalone department.
The inclusion of Shahjahan addresses sharp criticism faced by the TVK leadership regarding minority representation. Despite electing three Muslim legislators on TVK tickets, the initial cabinet layout featured only one Muslim minister, J. Mohamed Farvas. This initial omission drew public censure from Manithaneya Makkal Katchi leader M. H. Jawahirullah, who labelled the lack of proportional representation unfortunate and drew parallels to Bharatiya Janata Party-led administrations. Shahjahan's entry brings the total number of Muslim ministers to two, balancing the administrative ranks.
The decision by the VCK and IUML to enter the TVK government has raised immediate questions regarding the stability of the DMK-led alliance, of which both parties have been long-term members, though neither organisation has formally announced a rupture with the DMK. The political shifts began a fortnight ago when the state assembly elections concluded without any single party securing an absolute majority. To avoid the imposition of President’s Rule, which the Left and regional parties characterised as a potential proxy BJP rule, the bloc initially offered unconditional outside support to the TVK. However, following formal, fresh invitations from Chief Minister Vijay to join the executive branch, the parties internalised the matter and chose to accept ministerial roles.
Conversely, the AIADMK faction, which provided critical backing to the TVK government during the mandatory confidence vote with its 25 MLAs, was excluded from the cabinet expansion due to unresolved legal complications. Friday's developments follow a massive cabinet expansion on Thursday, which saw 23 ministers sworn in, comprising 21 from the TVK and two from the Congress. The inclusion of the Congress lawmakers marks the party's formal return to the Tamil Nadu state ministry after a 59-year hiatus, having last held power in the state nearly six decades ago. Congress had contested the elections as part of the DMK-led front, winning five seats, before shifting its support to help Vijay cross the majority threshold.