Chennai: As many as 19 MLAs from the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and two Congress legislators — S Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan — are set to be sworn in as ministers on Thursday by Governor R V Arlekar at Lok Bhavan. This cabinet expansion comes 12 days after Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and nine ministers were sworn in on May 10. Nearly half of the 43 departments in the state have so far functioned without ministers, delaying decisions in several departments and drawing criticism from opposition parties.
Shortlisted Candidates
Among those shortlisted for induction are Salem South MLA Tamil Parthiban, Aranthangi MLA J Mohammed Farvas alias Parvez, Coimbatore North MLA V Sampath Kumar, Kancheepuram MLA RV Ranjith Kumar, Tambaram MLA D Sarath Kumar, Tirupur North MLA V Sathyabama, and R K Nagar MLA Marie Wilson. The TVK is also considering younger legislators in the 30-40 age group for ministerial positions.
Impact on Governance
The delay in cabinet expansion had led to a backlog of decisions in key departments, affecting administrative efficiency. Opposition parties had criticized the government for the prolonged vacuum in ministerial posts. With the induction of new ministers, the state government aims to streamline decision-making and address pending issues across various sectors.
