Tamil Nadu's Cabinet expanded further on Friday (22 May) as two more legislators took their oath of office, with IUML's AM Shahjahan and VCK's Vanni Arasu joining Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's government in a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan in Chennai.
AM Shahjahan and Vanni Arasu Take Oath as Tamil Nadu Cabinet Ministers
The expansion of Tamil Nadu's state Cabinet gathered pace on Friday morning when two ministers-designate were sworn in at Lok Bhavan in Chennai at 9:30 AM. The induction followed a formal recommendation by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and was subsequently approved by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
The two new ministers are AM Shahjahan of the Indian Union Muslim League, who represents the Papanasam Assembly constituency, and Vanni Arasu of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, the sitting MLA from Tindivanam constituency. Their inclusion signals a deliberate effort to broaden the coalition character of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam-led government.
Cabinet Expansion Follows Thursday's Ministerial Inductions
Friday's ceremony was the second round of Cabinet expansion within as many days. On Thursday, Chief Minister Vijay had already inducted five TVK legislators into the government, each assigned specific portfolios.
TVK MLA B Rajkumar took charge of the Housing and Urban Development Ministry. TVK MLA Vijay Tamilan Parthiban A assumed responsibility for the Transport Ministry. TVK MLA RV Ranjithkumar was designated Forests Minister. TVK MLA V Sampath Kumar took on the Backward Classes Welfare Ministry, and TVK MLA V Gandhiraj was assigned the Co-operation Ministry.
Two Congress MLAs, S Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan, also took oath as ministers in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet as part of the ongoing expansion.
Twenty-Three Ministers Allocated Portfolios After New Government's Formation
A total of twenty-three ministers received portfolio allocations following the formation of the new TVK-led government. The full composition of the Cabinet reflects both the governing party's priorities and the requirements of managing a coalition arrangement with alliance partners.
Among the notable portfolio assignments, KA Sengottaiyan, a former Tamil Nadu minister and TVK candidate from Gobichettipalayam constituency, has been given charge of the Revenue department. His responsibilities now cover Revenue, District Revenue Establishment, Deputy Collectors, Disaster Management, Boodhan, Gramadhan, and Legislative Assembly matters.
The Finance portfolio has gone to N Marie Wilson, the TVK MLA from Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar. Wilson will oversee Finance, Pensions and Pensionary Benefits, and Planning and Development matters.
CM Vijay Retains Key Portfolios Including Home and Police
Chief Minister Vijay has chosen to retain several of the most consequential portfolios himself. These include Home, Police, Municipal Administration, and Urban and Water Supply. He has additionally taken on Special Initiatives, Poverty Alleviation and Rural Indebtedness.
One notable administrative change involves the Women Welfare portfolio. Previously held within the Chief Minister's office, it has now been reassigned to K Jegadeshwari, who has been designated Minister for Social Welfare and Women Empowerment.
Tamil Nadu Becomes Only Second State After Keralam to Create AI Cabinet Department
One of the more structurally significant features of the new government is the creation of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence department at the Cabinet level. Tamil Nadu is only the second state in the country to take this step, following Keralam, reflecting an institutional commitment to embedding AI policy within the core machinery of state governance rather than treating it as a peripheral concern.
The move positions Tamil Nadu alongside a small group of administrations globally that have elevated AI to the level of formal ministerial oversight, a signal of where the state government expects technology to feature in its policy agenda over the coming years.
