Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi participates in the swearing-in ceremony of TVK Chief Vijay as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Despite Congress leader Rahul Gandhi taking part in the swearing-in of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay in Chennai on Sunday (May 10, 2026), the historic moment of Congress MLAs taking the oath as Cabinet Ministers after almost six decades didn’t come to pass.
Also read: Swearing-in ceremony of T.N. CM Vijay highlights
Party sources said the Congress asked the TVK to accommodate Melur MLA P. Viswanathan and Congress Legislature Party leader S. Rajeshkumar in the Cabinet.
However, the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) suggested that one Congress MLA be sworn in as a Minister now, and another berth could be given to the party during the expansion of the Cabinet. The Congress leadership felt that it was important for both MLAs to be sworn in together, given their significance to the party and their stature.
“Mr. Rajeshkumar is a three-time MLA and Mr. Viswanathan, a former MP, is a senior leader in the party. It was felt that it wouldn’t be appropriate for one to take the oath before the other. So it was decided that the swearing-in could be done later,” a source said.
Furthermore, sources said the TVK was planning to rope in the AIADMK, without its general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, as part of the post-poll alliance, and AIADMK members are likely to be accommodated in the Cabinet too. “All of the coalition partners will be accommodated in the Cabinet together,” said sources.
Another senior leader said the optics of the Congress MLAs taking the oath as Cabinet Ministers in the presence of Mr. Gandhi would have sent a powerful message, and that opportunity was missed. “Mr. Gandhi must have insisted that the Congress MLAs become Ministers in his presence. It would have been apt,” said a senior leader.
Published – May 11, 2026 04:29 am IST
