By Admin 
For the first time in almost six decades, the Congress party is going to be a part of the Tamil Nadu cabinet. On Thursday (May 22, 2026), two MLAs of the party will take oath as ministers in the Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government. The announcement was made by Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge in the state cabinet led by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay along with party MLAs S. This was done after approval was given for the inclusion of Rajesh Kumar and P. Vishwanathan.
This development is being seen as an important political change in Tamil Nadu. According to observers, this marks the beginning of a new round of power-sharing within the ruling coalition supporting the TVK government. Speaking to IANS, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said this is a historic moment for the party after such a long gap.
He said, ‘This is a very important day for the Congress and we all feel that 59 years is a very long time. Congress party has always stood for the people. We have shared power with others, we have handed over power to others and we had to wait for so many years to come to power in Tamil Nadu. This is a very important day for us.
Tamil Nadu Congress State President K. Selvaperunthagai told IANS that this swearing-in ceremony is being held on the occasion of the death anniversary of former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi. He expressed confidence that the newly inducted ministers will work in accordance with the ideals of Rajiv Gandhi.
Also read:- ‘Don’t play with fire, you will have to sacrifice cows, goats…’, Humayun Kabir warns CM Shubhendu
He said, ‘Today is the death anniversary of late Rajiv Gandhi. Following the path shown by Rajiv Gandhi, our ministers will definitely work hard for the people as well as the Congress workers. Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar said that party workers are very excited about this development. He described this as the result of the long-standing demand for representation in governance.
He told IANS, ‘Our workers are very happy and excited, because they had long desired power-sharing and respect in the government and now they have got it. We dedicate both these ministries to our party workers, because they have stood firmly by our ideology and our party in both good and bad times. Even when we had no hope of coming to power, he remained firm on his resolve.
Congress leader Thirunavukkarasar, speaking to IANS, welcomed the decision and thanked the TVK leadership for including the party in the cabinet. He said, ‘It is good, it is a welcome step. I appreciate TVK President and current CM Vijay. I thank him for making this proposal and including Congress in his cabinet. This is a good step from their side. I thank him on behalf of Congress and its workers.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader KV Thangabalu said, ‘We are very happy that Congress is joining the ministry after 59 years. In fact, in 2009, we had demanded a power-sharing arrangement, and at that time Mr. Karunanidhi had agreed, but that did not happen. Let us tell you that in Tamil Nadu, Congress has supported Joseph Vijay’s party TVK if it does not get the previous majority.
Also read:- Singing Vande Mataram is mandatory in madrassas, a big decision of CM Shubhendu Adhikari in Bengal.