Congress MLA S Rajesh Kumar was interrupted by Governor RN Arlekar after raising political slogans
May 21, 2026: In a significant political development for the Congress in Tamil Nadu, two party MLAs — S Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan — were inducted into Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s expanded cabinet on Thursday. The inclusion marks the first time in nearly six decades that Congress legislators have become part of a ruling cabinet in the state. Both leaders took oath during Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s first cabinet expansion after forming the government with support from alliance partners.
The swearing-in ceremony briefly sparked attention when Congress MLA S Rajesh Kumar, after taking the oath, raised slogans praising leaders K Kamaraj, Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar interrupted him with a smile, reminding him that political slogans were “not part of the oath.” The moment quickly drew attention during the otherwise smooth ceremony held at Lok Bhavan.
Under the cabinet allocation, S Rajesh Kumar was given the tourism portfolio while P Viswanathan was assigned the higher education department. The TVK government expanded its cabinet by inducting 23 ministers, including 21 from TVK and two from Congress. Following the ceremony, Viswanathan assured full support from Congress to all initiatives and welfare schemes undertaken by Chief Minister Vijay’s government.