The first coalition government in Tamil Nadu since India’s independence took shape following a shift in the state’s political structure, ending nearly 60 years of exclusive Dravidian party dominance. After actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s TVK party secured 108 seats in the 2026 Assembly elections, the party formed a governing alliance with the Congress, Left parties, VCK, and IUML to cross the majority threshold.
During the cabinet expansion at Lok Bhavan in Chennai, 23 new ministers took their oaths of office. The proceedings faced immediate disruption when Congress MLA S. Rajesh Kumar altered the official text of his oath to chant political slogans. Rajesh Kumar stated, “Long live Kamaraj, Long live Rajiv Gandhi, and Long live Rahul Gandhi,” which led to an immediate interruption by Governor Arlekar during the proceedings.
The Governor instructed the lawmaker to halt and strictly read only the prescribed text. The incident occurred during the formal swearing-in ceremony where the governor reminded the minister that extraneous slogans are not permitted within the official protocol. A similar deviation occurred when TVK MLA Thennarasu began his oath by proclaiming his personal allegiance to party leader Vijay before the Governor gave the official cue, drawing further corrections from the chair.
Portfolio allocations finalized after the ceremony confirmed that nine out of 14 MLAs representing the Chennai region received cabinet or equivalent positions. First-time MLA N. Marie Wilson was assigned the role of Finance Minister, taking over the portfolio from veteran politician K.A. Sengottaiyan, who moved to the Ministry of Revenue and Disaster Management. The state cabinet now comprises 33 ministers out of the maximum permissible limit of 35 members for the 234-seat assembly.
Rajesh Kumar took charge of the Tourism portfolio following his corrected oath. Fellow Congress representative P. Viswanathan received the Higher Education ministry, marking the first time in 59 years that Congress lawmakers have occupied ministerial seats inside the Tamil Nadu state cabinet.