CM Vijay gives finishing touch to rainbow coalition, inducts IUML leader, one more Dalit in Cabinet

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday completed his Cabinet expansion exercise by inducting two more MLAs, a Dalit from the VCK and an IUML leader, making it a rainbow ministry that also has Brahmins.

Strengthening his coalition government, which already has representation from Congress party and the support of the Left parties, senior VCK leader Vanni Arasu, a close aide of party chief Thol Thirumavalavan and IUML legislator A M Shahjahan took oath as ministers.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy at a simple ceremony in the Lok Bhavan. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and others participated.

The induction of the two MLAs in the Cabinet led by Vijay brings the total number of ministers, including the CM to 35, the maximum permissible limit under the Constitution.

Taking IUML and VCK nominees into the Cabinet marks a milestone as DMK is rid of allies trusted for long, stability ensured for TVK regime and opportunity ends for rebel AIADMK group that supported the Vijay-led party in the May 13 trust vote.

Rebel AIADMK leader SP Velumani denied that they supported the TVK government eyeing ministerial berths and asserted that they backed it to respect people's mandate. This is the first time a coalition government is in place in Tamil Nadu.

The induction of VCK and the IUML legislators apparently irked the DMK and its senior leader A Raja targeted the two parties, initially with a social media post which was later allegedly deleted, and another tweet attacking them.

A subsequent war of words ensued between the concerned parties, even as TVK leader and state Minister Aadhav Arjuna demanded that the Dravidian party leader apologise for his remarks.

Former chief minister and DMK President M K Stalin also stepped in to end the verbal fight.

DMK Deputy general secretary Raja, without directly referring to VCK and IUML joining the government, cited a literary term to describe a coconut tree from inside one's garden bending towards the opposite house and providing tender coconut to the neighbour.

Giving this example, he asked what term could be used in politics to describe a similar happening. Slamming Raja, Arjuna demanded an apology from the DMK leader.

VCK said Raja's remark, (not the coconut tree jibe but another post in social media which was allegedly deleted later) was tantamount to insulting women.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, a noted Dalit party and the Indian Union Muslim League celebrated the inclusion of their representatives in the Cabinet. Vanni Arasu told reporters that his taking over as minister was the perfect ''dream come true'' moment. ''Winning power'' was part of the vision of Thirumavalavan and that has now been realised.

In total, there are eight Dalits in the Vijay-led Cabinet including P Viswanathan from Congress and VCK's Vanni Arasu. The rest are from TVK. There are two Brahmins and at least five from minority religions including CM Joseph Vijay, TVK's N Marie Wilson (Finance Minister) and Mohamed Farvas J (Labour Minister).

Other than former chief ministers, C Rajagopalachari, J Jayalalithaa and Janaki Ramachandran, wife of late chief minister M G Ramachandran (MGR), there had been no other Brahmins ministers in Tamil Nadu.

In the presence of Chief Minister Joseph Vijay and top officials, Shahjahan who won from Papanasam Assembly constituency and Vanni Arasu, who emerged victorious from Tindivanam segment took the oath of office and secrecy.

Thirumavalavan and Aadhav Arjuna accompanied Arasu to his chamber in the Secretariat and seated him in his chair and extended their greetings.

Following the induction, Vijay inspected the sprawling Secretariat campus and visited the British era church in the premises.

The social media was abuzz with comments by TVK supporters hailing Vijay for accommodating Muslim and Dalit faces which ''isolated'' the DMK.

Ahead of the swearing-in, Thirumavalavan said the majority in his party was of the view that VCK should be included in the Cabinet. His party was first to advocate coalition form of governance in Tamil Nadu.

Despite the IUML initially extending unconditional support to the TVK government during the trust vote in the Assembly, Vijay offered the party a berth in the Cabinet.

Shahjahan (57) holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Jamal Mohamed College in Tiruchirappalli. He hails from Thirumangalakudi in Thanjavur district. He is involved in social service and is among the founders of the Assalam Charitable and Educational Trust in Thanjavur district that focuses on upliftment of the community and advancement of higher education and social welfare.

Vanni Arasu is deputy general secretary of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. He made history along with Shahjahan in becoming the first ever VCK and IUML representatives to be inducted into the Tamil Nadu Cabinet. Vanni Arasu's activism relies on B R Ambedkar, EV Ramasamy Periyar and Tamil nationalist principles.

The eight Dalit ministers in the TVK Cabinet are D Lokesh Tamilselvan, Vanni Arasu, Rajmohan, S Kamali, P Mathan Raja, K Thennarasu, V Gandhiraj, and P Viswanathan.

As many as eight MLAs from the Scheduled Castes becoming ministers is a first in TN. The previous DMK government, after a reshuffle in 2024 (Govi Chezhian was inducted and M Mathivendan, C V Ganesan and Kayalvizhi Selvaraj), had four Ministers from the SC community.

The two Brahmin ministers in the Vijay-led ministry are P Venkataraman and S Ramesh. The four women ministers are-- S Kamali, S Keerthana, C Vijayalakshmi and K Jagadeshwari.

The Congress which has been out of power since 1967 has joined the TVK government getting two ministers (S Rajesh Kumar and Viswanathan).

Congress, IUML and VCK contested the April 23 Assembly election in alliance with the DMK. Congress, which has five legislators, soon walked out of the DMK-led alliance to support TVK while the others extended support later.

The average age of the Cabinet is relatively low as more than 11 ministers are under 40 while ministers Keerthana and Kamali are under 30 years of age. Ramesh is aged 31.

''I am really very happy. It's a historic moment for IUML. We faced many elections in the past, but this is for the first time that IUML has joined the Cabinet in Tamil Nadu,'' Shahjahan told reporters after the swearing-in.

Meanwhile, DMK's sarcastic ''bent coconut tree'' jibe was met with sharp retort from the VCK.

Long-time allies, DMK and VCK had fought the 2026 elections as SPA coalition partners. However, VCK extended support to TVK when it was attempting to cobble up numbers to form its maiden government in the state.

Reacting sharply to the ''bent coconut tree'' jibe, the VCK said it did not grow at the mercy of other parties. Its sweat and blood sustained the vote bank of the oppressed people and aided in the victory of the coalition parties, it claimed.

''What right do other parties have to talk about party defection? Whose history is it that they formed an alliance with the Sangh Parivar (BJP) to defeat the Congress? Whose 'selfishness' is it that they were part of the Vajpayee Cabinet and then opposed the same BJP? Tamil Nadu has seen many such political dramas,'' the VCK said on 'X'.

As tempers flared, Stalin stepped in to calm things down.

Stalin, while congratulating Vanni Arasu and Shahjahan upon becoming ministers, said on 'X' that every party has a right to decide its political course. ''Therefore, as your leader, I appeal to DMK cadres not to use harsh words that hurt anyone.''.

''We must not forget that we have come on the path of Anna and Kalaignar (former Chief Ministers C N Annadurai and M Karunanidhi). We will function as a constructive opposition that lauds the good deeds and criticises the wrongful actions,'' Stalin said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)