Congress returns to Tamil Nadu cabinet after 59 years, as state enters a coalition era

Chennai: Tamil Nadu got its first coalition govt on Thursday as two Congress MLAs, S Rajesh Kumar from Killiyur in Kanyakumari district and P Viswanathan from Melur in Madurai district, were inducted into the state cabinet. Viswanathan gets higher education and Rajesh Kumar tourism.

“The young blood of TVK and experience of Congress would create a revolution in TN,’’ Rajesh Kumar said after being sworn in.

AICC in-charge for TN Girish Chodankar said it was “a deeply emotional and historic day” for Congress in TN. “After 59 long years, Congress is once again part of the Tamil Nadu cabinet. It is a victory of perseverance, ideology and the unwavering commitment of lakhs of Congress cadre and grassroots workers across the state, who stood firmly with the party through every difficult phase,” Chodankar said on X. The last time Congress was in power was in 1967 under K Kamaraj.

Congress had demanded a share in power from DMK during alliance talks before the assembly elections. DMK, however, turned down the request. After the poll debacle, Congress severed ties with DMK and joined hands with TVK, which promised cabinet berths. Incidentally, Congress’s return to cabinet happened on the death anniversary of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

“I am not only witnessing Kamaraj rule after 1967, but am part of it too,” said Rajesh Kumar. He raised slogans invoking Kamaraj, Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi during his swearing in and got chided by Governor R Arlekar. “That is not part of your oath,” Arlekar told him.

Former TNCC president K V Thangkabalu said Vijay fulfilled the promise that even the late chief minister M Karunanidhi did not. “In 2006, when DMK fell short of a majority, we demanded a share in power and Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) even promised it, but in the five-year period he didn’t fulfil it. Vijay, however, has honoured the promise he made,” Thangkabalu said.