CHENNAI: With the TVK government coming into power on Sunday, the Congress party is now set to re-enter the Tamil Nadu government with two ministerial berths in the cabinet, after an interval of nearly 59 years.
The new government was sworn in at a grand ceremony held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai. Nine ministers took the oath of office along with Chief Minister Joseph Vijay. TVK formed the government with the support of Congress, IUML and Left parties, including the CPI, CPM, and VCK, after the Assembly elections resulted in a hung verdict.
TVK emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats in its maiden electoral contest, but fell short of the 118 seats required for a majority in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly. Following the results, Vijay sought the support of the Congress and other like-minded parties to stake a claim to form the government.
The Congress, which contested 28 seats as part of the DMK-led SPA alliance, secured only five seats in the election. Despite its reduced tally, the party's central leadership decided to support TVK after consultations held by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in New Delhi.
As part of the post-poll alliance agreement, TVK has decided to allot two ministerial berths to the Congress party in the new Cabinet. With this, the Congress has officially returned to the Tamil Nadu government after nearly six decades.
Even in 2006, when the DMK formed the government with outside support from Congress, which had won 34 seats, and PMK, which secured 18 seats, the Congress was not accommodated in the State Cabinet.
Despite being a long-time ally of the DMK and contributing to several alliance victories over the years, the Congress was never given representation in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet during the DMK-Congress alliance period. This remained a long-standing disappointment among party cadres and leaders.
Even in 2006, when the DMK formed the government with outside support from Congress, which had won 34 seats, and PMK, which secured 18 seats, the Congress was not accommodated in the State Cabinet.
AICC national observer for Tamil Nadu, Girish Chodankar, confirmed that discussions regarding the Congress nominees for the Cabinet were still ongoing and that the party leadership in Delhi would take the final decision soon.
"We are not insisting that Congress ministers should take oath immediately. Discussions are under way regarding which of our victorious MLAs will be inducted into the Cabinet. The final decision will be taken by the leadership in Delhi," he said.
According to Congress sources, Melur MLA P Viswanathan and Killiyoor MLA S Rajeshkumar are among the frontrunners for the ministerial posts allotted to the party. Viswanathan attracted attention during the elections after contesting as an SC candidate in a general constituency and securing victory. Rajeshkumar currently serves as the Congress Legislature Party leader in the Assembly.
Political analysts note that sections within the Congress had been favouring an alliance with Vijay even before the elections, especially after the TVK leader repeatedly assured alliance partners of a share in governance.
Although the DMK and Congress shared an alliance spanning nearly 55 years with intermittent breaks, the Congress decision to support a newly formed party like TVK marks a historic shift and signals the beginning of a new political phase in Tamil Nadu.