With the latest expansion, the Cabinet strength has risen to 32, including chief minister Vijay. Congress has returned to the state Cabinet after nearly six decades, with the national party being represented in the Tamil Nadu ministry for the first time since 1967.
The newly expanded Cabinet also includes four women ministers. Governor Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at a ceremony held at the Lok Bhavan on Thursday morning. Leaders of alliance parties supporting the government were present on the occasion.
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The newly formed government has been supported by Congress, VCK, CPI, CPM, IUML and a section of the AIADMK MLAs. Earlier on Thursday, the newly inducted Congress ministers, accompanied by senior Congress leaders of the state, visited the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial at Sriperumbudur to pay their respects on his Memorial Day on Thursday.
The AIADMK faction supporting the government was not present at the Cabinet expansion event.
Also Read: 86.11% voter turnout recorded in re-polling at West Bengal’s Falta constituencyA day earlier, TVK had openly invited VCK and IUML to join the Cabinet. “We invite VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan to be part of the Council of Ministers. This is the wish of the chief minister as well. Similarly, the IUML should also join the council of ministers. We have conveyed our invitation to the IUML leaders,” minister for public works and sports development Aadhav Arjuna had told reporters in Chennai on Wednesday.
Both the parties, with two MLAs each, are vital to the numbers of the TVK government. It is expected that both the partners will be inducted into the government at a later stage.
