First Tamil Nadu Coalition Govt in 64 Years Has 33 Ministers

Chennai: Inducting 23 ministers into his Cabinet on Wednesday, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay established the first coalition government in the state since 1952 by giving ministerial berths to two Congress members, S Rajeshkumar and P Vishwanathan, besides roping in 21 first-time MLAs, including three women, from his party, the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam. The IUML has also agreed to join the ministry.

After 1952 when the Congress formed a government under C Rajagopalachari in an alliance with a few parties, including the Commonweal party, Tamil Nadu has been consistently under single party rule with the DMK or AIADMK alternately winning elections and managing the necessary numbers.

It was broken by Vijay in his maiden Cabinet expansion at the Lok Bhavan where Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar sworn in the new ministers.

For the Congress, it turned out to be historic moment as its representatives were sworn in after 59 years as Ministers — Rajesh Kumar was made minister of tourism and P. Vishwanathan as minister of higher education — on the 35th death anniversary of the party’s former president Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated at Sriperumbudur in the state in 1991.

Women ministers sworn in on Thursday were S. Kamali, who won from the Avinashi reserved constituency and is believed to be the youngest in the Cabinet, having been born in 1998, C. Vijayalakshmi from Kumrapalayam and Jagadeswari from Rajapalayam.

At least 6 of the new ministers are said to be below 35 years, another 6 below 45, nine below 55 and just two above 60 years. Seven of the ministers have been elected from reserved constituencies.

Some Opposition party leaders raised an objection over the singing of ‘Vante Mataram,’ the national song before and after the event as it had not been the practice in the state, where the Tamil anthem, ‘Neerarum Kadaludutha’ marks the start of a function and the national anthem at the end of it.

After the swearing in of the TVK- ministry at the Nehru Stadium on May 10 saw the singing of ‘Vante Matharam’ twice, triggering silent protests, the minister for sports Aadhav Arjuna said that it would not happen again and that the tradition in the state would be followed in future events. So the singing of the national song twice at the event marking the Cabinet expansion earned the ire of some people.

After the swearing in was over, the new ministers went to the Secretariat and occupied their seats and began their work.