Tamil Nadu cabinet expansion on Thursday: 2 Congress MLAs to join Vijay govt, no AIADMK rebels for now

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay will expand his cabinet to induct two Congress legislators as ministers on Thursday. Members of the AIADMK faction led by former ministers C Ve Shanmugam and S P Velumani are, however, not to be included in this round of cabinet expansion, sources told TOI.

Congress floor leader K Rajesh Kumar (Killiyoor MLA) and P Viswanathan (Melur) are expected to be sworn in at 10am at Lok Bhavan. R V Arlekar, who holds the additional charge of TN governor, is expected to arrive in Chennai on Wednesday night.

“We will be part of a ministry in Tamil Nadu after six decades,” said a Congress leader. “A long dream of our cadres is coming true.” He said national leaders of the party are unlikely to attend the swearing-in ceremony. Congress MLA Tharahai Cuthbert (Colachel) had also lobbied for a berth.

Vijay has faced criticism for leaving nearly 20 departments without ministers, including agriculture, higher education, revenue and disaster management, transport, housing and urban development, MSME, commercial taxes, Hindu religious and charitable endowments, and fisheries. The delay was partly linked to plans to induct the AIADMK faction opposed to party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.

VCK and CPM, who have offered their support to the Vijay govt, have publicly opposed the induction of AIADMK members into the ministry.

CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said his party would reconsider its support if TVK inducted any of the AIADMK MLAs. “It will go against the people’s verdict. It is against TVK’s clean governance plank,” Shanmugam said.