Chennai:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday formally announced the portfolios for himself and nine ministers of his maiden cabinet, 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.
The official portfolio allocation, cleared by the governor, says Vijay will hold portfolios including Public, General Administration, IAS, IPS, IFS, District Revenue Officers, Police, Home and Special Programme Implementation. He has also retained Women’s Welfare, Youth Welfare, Welfare of Children, Aged and Differently Abled Persons, besides 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.
Vijay’s decision to personally oversee these departments indicates his intention to maintain direct political ownership over welfare delivery and urban governance, as per policitical observers.
As in the party hierarchy, N Anand emerges as the number two in government as Minister for rural development and water resources. His portfolio includes Rural Development, Panchayats and Panchayat Union, Poverty Alleviation Programme, Rural Indebtedness and Irrigation projects including Small Irrigation.
Aadhav Arjuna, a key member of Vijay’s core team, has been given the crucial Public Works and Sports Development ministries. His departments include Public Works covering Buildings, Highways and Minor Ports along with Sports Development. The sports portfolio was earlier held by former Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in the DMK regime.
Former IRS officer and physician Dr KG Arunraj has been appointed Minister for Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare.
In a politically significant move, expelled AIADMK veteran KA Sengottaiyan has been entrusted with the finance portfolio along with pensions and pension allowances.
The youngest minister in the cabinet and the only woman minister, Selvi S Keerthana, has scripted history by becoming Tamil Nadu’s first woman Industries Minister. She will handle Industries and Investment Promotion, a portfolio previously held by former DMK minister TRB Rajaa.
P Venkataramanan has been assigned the Food and Civil Supplies ministry along with Consumer Protection and Price Control.
R Nirmalkumar takes charge of energy resources and law, handling Electricity and Non-Conventional Energy Development, Law, Courts, Prisons and Prevention of Corruption, Legislative Assembly, Governor, Elections and Passports departments.
Rajmohan has been appointed Minister for School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity. His departments include Archaeology, Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture, Film Technology and Cinematograph Act, Newsprint Control, Stationery and Printing and Government Press.
Dentist-turned-politician Dr TK Prabhu has been allotted the Natural Resources portfolio along with charge of Minerals and Mines.
TVK sources say Chief Minister Vijay personally spent considerable time structuring the cabinet and balancing political messaging with governance priorities.
Several heavyweight portfolios, however, are yet to be allocated, 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. Meanwhile, 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.
Notably, 24 rebel AIADMK MLAs had voted in favour of Chief Minister Vijay during the trust vote in the Assembly, giving the fledgling TVK government a crucial boost and underlining the deepening cracks within the AIADMK.
TVK won 108 seats in the Assembly election, falling 10 short of the majority mark, and formed the government with outside support from allies. Vijay has also resigned from the Tiruchy East constituency, one of the two seats from which he contested and won.