Congress Returns to Power in Tamil Nadu After 55 Years in Vijay-Led TVK Government

Chennai, May 2026 : The Congress party is poised to return to the Tamil Nadu government after a gap of more than 55 years, following the formation of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led coalition government headed by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. The development marks a major political shift in the state after the recently concluded Assembly elections resulted in a fractured mandate and intense post-poll negotiations among political parties.

The Congress is expected to secure two ministerial berths in the new dispensation as part of the power-sharing arrangement finalised with the Vijay-led TVK government. The decision comes after crucial discussions between TVK leaders and the Congress high command in New Delhi.

The new government was sworn in at a grand ceremony held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, where actor-turned-politician Vijay took oath as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Vijay and nine ministers in the first phase of Cabinet formation.

TVK, which contested its maiden Assembly election under Vijay’s leadership, emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly. However, the party fell short of the majority mark of 118 seats needed to form the government independently.

Following the results, Vijay initiated talks with several opposition parties and alliance partners to secure support for government formation. The Congress, despite contesting the elections as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), decided to extend support to TVK after a series of consultations involving senior leaders of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

The Congress contested 28 constituencies in the Assembly elections but managed to win only five seats. Despite the modest tally, the party’s support proved politically significant in helping the TVK-led coalition comfortably cross the majority mark.

Apart from Congress, the TVK government also received support from the CPI, CPI(M), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). Their combined backing enabled Vijay to stake claim to form the government and ushered in a new political alignment in the state.

Congress joining the Cabinet is being viewed as a historic development in Tamil Nadu politics. The party has remained out of power in the state government for decades despite being a key ally of the DMK in several elections and coalition arrangements. Congress cadres had repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction over the party not receiving ministerial representation even when alliance governments were formed with its support.

Political observers recalled that in 2006, when the DMK formed the government with outside support from Congress and PMK, the Congress had won 34 Assembly seats but was still denied representation in the state Cabinet. The latest development is therefore being seen as a long-awaited breakthrough for the party in Tamil Nadu.

AICC national observer for Tamil Nadu Girish Chodankar confirmed that discussions regarding the Congress nominees for the Cabinet were still in progress. He stated that the party was not insisting on immediate swearing-in of its ministers and that consultations were continuing regarding the final names to be inducted into the Cabinet.

According to Congress sources, Melur MLA P. Viswanathan and Killiyoor MLA S. Rajeshkumar are among the leading contenders for ministerial positions in the Vijay-led government.

Rajeshkumar currently serves as the Congress Legislature Party leader in the Assembly and is regarded as one of the senior faces of the party in the state. Meanwhile, Viswanathan attracted attention during the elections after registering a significant victory from a general constituency despite belonging to the Scheduled Caste community.

The entry of Congress into the Cabinet is also expected to reshape opposition politics in Tamil Nadu, especially after the DMK’s electoral setback and the emergence of TVK as a formidable political force in the state.

With the new coalition government now in place, attention is shifting towards portfolio allocation, coordination among alliance partners, and the government’s immediate policy priorities as Tamil Nadu enters a new political phase under Chief Minister Vijay.

Team Maverick.