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Congress Returns to TN Cabinet After 59 Years

Congress has approved the names of Tamil Nadu MLAs Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan to be inducted in the cabinet and will take oath on Thursday, General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said. After 59 years, Congress leaders will hold cabinet minister positions in Tamil Nadu.

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In a statement on X, KC Venugopal said, "INC President Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the induction of INC MLAs Adv. Rajesh Kumar and Thiru P. Vishwanathan into the Tamil Nadu cabinet, and they will be taking oath as Ministers tomorrow." "This is a historic occasion for us, as the Congress joins the Tamil Nadu cabinet after a long gap of 59 years! I convey my best wishes to them, we are confident that they will deliver on the hopes and aspirations of the people of Tamil Nadu and will work to realise the bold vision of welfare and pro-people governance laid down by LOP Rahul Gandhi ji," he added.

MLAs' Election Victories

Rajesh Kumar had won the Killiyoor seat by a narrow margin of 1,311 (0.7 per cent) votes against TVK candidate Sabin S. While P Viswanathan won the Melur seat by a margin of 2,724 (1.4 per cent) votes against TVK's A Maduraiveeran.

New Coalition Dynamics in Tamil Nadu

Congress had won five seats in the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections and went on to support the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to form a coalition government in the state. The party had quit the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance amid post-poll politics. Out of the five MLAs, two got their berths reserved in the cabinet.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore had confirmed that two MLAs would be getting ministerial posts in C Joseph Vijay-led cabinet. Tagore had posted on X, "Even before the 2026 elections, the DMK had openly declared that Tamil Nadu would not accept a share in the governance. The people have now delivered their verdict on this matter. The people of Tamil Nadu have clearly stated that they desire to have a share in the administration. A new chapter in history is being written. TVK leader Vijay--who had pledged that alliance partners would always be granted a share in power--has honoured his promise."

"Now, after 59 years, two Khadi-clad Congress ministers have secured a place in the Cabinet. For thousands of Congress cadres like me, this is an emotional and historic moment. We must steer Tamil Nadu away from the politics of '36% commissions' and towards a corruption-free administration. A New Government. New Hope," Tagore added on X. (ANI)