Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay unveiled the portfolio allocations for ministers in his cabinet on Saturday, retaining key departments including Home, Police and General Administration in what is being seen as a political signal to the constituencies that powered TVK's rise to power. State Governor Rajendra Arlekar approved the CM's recommendations. The allocation came a week after the council of ministers led by Vijay was sworn in on May 10. Vijay, who was elected from the Perambur and Trichy East constituencies but later vacated the second, kept for himself the key departments of public, general administration, home and police, special programme implementation, women and children welfare, youth welfare, municipal administration and water supply, welfare of differently abled persons, Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, and Indian Forest Service, among others. According to the latest allocations, Vijay will handle Public, General Administration, IAS, IPS, IFS, District Revenue Officers, Police, Home, Special Programme Implementation, Women Welfare, Youth Welfare, Welfare of Children, Aged and Differently Abled Persons, Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply. The move is significant as women and youth voters played a crucial role in catapulting TVK to power in the Assembly election, with Vijay's decision to personally oversee these departments indicating his intention to maintain direct political ownership over welfare delivery and urban governance.
According to the latest allocations, Vijay will handle public, general administration, home and police, special programme implementation, women and children welfare, youth welfare, municipal administration and water supply, welfare of differently abled persons, Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, and Indian Forest Service. By keeping Home for himself, Vijay continues the trend of Chief Ministers in Tamil Nadu retaining the important portfolio with themselves. The allocation demonstrates the government's focus on maintaining administrative control over critical law enforcement and welfare functions, particularly given the crucial role women and youth voters played in TVK's electoral success. Vijay has also separated sports development as an independent ministry, marking a departure from the previous DMK structure, indicating a strategic shift in how the government approaches sports governance.
N "Bussy" Anand, the long-time organiser who helped convert Vijay's fan-club ecosystem into a political machine, has been designated minister for rural development and water resources, with subjects including rural development, panchayats, poverty alleviation, rural indebtedness and irrigation. Aadhav Arjuna, one of the TVK's key campaign managers and a central figure in the party's negotiations, will take care of public works (buildings, highways and minor ports) and sports development. His departments include Public Works covering Buildings, Highways and Minor Ports along with Sports Development, with the sports portfolio being a crucial addition as it was earlier held by former Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in the DMK regime. Dr K G Arunraj, the former IRS officer and one of TVK's most technocratic faces, will be the minister for health, medical education and family welfare. P Venkataramanan has been allocated Food and Civil Supplies, Consumer Protection and Price Control. R Nirmalkumar will handle Energy Resources and Law, including electricity, non-conventional energy, law, courts, prisons, prevention of corruption, legislative Assembly, governor, elections and passports. Rajmohan, the digital-era communicator and TVK propaganda face, shall be the Minister for School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity, with portfolio also including archaeology, Tamil official language and culture, film technology and the Cinematograph Act.
Senior leader K A Sengottaiyan, who is also a 10-time MLA and an expelled AIADMK veteran, has been designated as the Finance Minister, with additional charge of Pensions and Pension Allowances - a significant assignment in a Cabinet otherwise dominated by first-generation TVK faces. First-time MLA Selvi Keerthana became the Industries Minister, making history as Tamil Nadu's first woman Industries Minister and handling Industries and Investment Promotion, a portfolio previously held by former DMK minister TRB Rajaa. Dr TK Prabhu will handle the portfolios of Natural Resources, Minerals and Mines. The allocation of a major department to a woman minister has drawn attention in Tamil Nadu's political circles, highlighting the government's commitment to gender representation in key positions. The comprehensive portfolio allocation reflects the government's strategic approach to managing various sectors including infrastructure, education, health, and industrial development.
TVK sources indicate that Chief Minister Vijay personally spent considerable time structuring the cabinet and balancing political messaging with governance priorities. Several heavyweight portfolios remain unallocated, including Transport, Revenue, Cooperation, Agriculture, Forests, Environment, Housing, Information Technology, Tourism, Textiles, Dairy Development, Minority Welfare and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department. The absence of allocations for these departments has fuelled speculation that Vijay may soon expand his cabinet and accommodate allies in the coalition government. The Congress, which broke ties with the DMK and allied with TVK, is expected to secure two cabinet berths after winning five seats, while the CPI and CPM - both former DMK allies now supporting the TVK government - have indicated they will not join the ministry. It remains unclear whether other allies, including the VCK and IUML, may later be accommodated.
