Ending 59-year wait, Cong to join Vijay-led TN Cabinet on Thursday
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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the induction of Congress MLAs S. Rajesh Kumar and P. Vishwanathan into the Tamil Nadu Cabinet led by C. Joseph Vijay.
According to AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, the two leaders are scheduled to be sworn in as ministers on May 21. Venugopal described the development as a historic moment for the Indian National Congress, noting that the party would be joining the Tamil Nadu Cabinet after a gap of 59 years, The New Indian Express reported.
The Congress, which currently has five MLAs in the Assembly, had earlier withdrawn from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance in order to support the first government formed by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
The TVK government had invited its alliance partners, including the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and the Indian Union Muslim League, to join the Cabinet.
Adhav Arjuna, the Tamil Nadu Minister for Public Works and Sports Development, mm said that Chief Minister Vijay wanted the Cabinet to function as “one family” along with parties such as Congress, VCK, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and IUML, which had played a key role in helping form the government.
Arjuna further stated that both Vijay and the TVK leadership believed parties committed to the principles of social justice should be part of the Cabinet. He reportedly said that Congress had extended significant support to the TVK by placing trust in Vijay’s leadership.
According to Arjuna, the chief minister had strongly emphasised that the Congress should become part of the government. At the same time, he added that the administration would continue to respect the Left parties’ decision to support the government from outside rather than join the Cabinet.
