From Fan Clubs To Fort St George: The Making Of Vijay’s Cabinet

The excitement was palpable. The venue had filled up hours before the dignitaries arrived. As Joseph Vijay took oath as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu along with nine ministers from his two-year-old party, TVK, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium erupted in celebration, reflecting a state witnessing a moment many described as historic.

The swearing-in ceremony, in many ways, mirrored both the excitement and the inexperience of some of the new ministers. Vijay’s oath-taking itself carried his trademark theatrical flair, resembling more a speech delivered at a political rally than a formal constitutional ceremony.

What stood out equally was the prominence accorded to Rahul Gandhi on the dais alongside ministers. Seated among the audience were leaders of alliance partners who had extended support to TVK, as well as BJP leaders Nainar Nagendran and Tamilisai Soundararajan.

Rahul Gandhi, who had often referred to M. K. Stalin as his “brother,” sat next to Vijay and appeared keen to publicly signal the bonhomie between them, exchanging words with the new Chief Minister at regular intervals throughout the ceremony.

Fifty-year-old Joseph Vijay, the second-youngest Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after J. Jayalalithaa, appeared determined to make his swearing-in distinctly memorable. As Governor Rajendra Arlekar began administering the oath, Vijay, after pronouncing his name, paused for nearly 20 seconds as the crowd erupted in celebration. When he resumed, the oath sounded less like a formal constitutional pledge and more like a political address crafted for a historic moment.

Earlier, there had been reports that two leaders from the Congress would also be sworn in as ministers. Eventually, however, the first swearing-in ceremony was restricted entirely to members of TVK.

Rahul Gandhi, who arrived in Chennai early in the morning after an inconclusive meeting in New Delhi with warring Congress leaders from Kerala over the selection of the Chief Minister, remained at the centre of attention throughout the ceremony. After the swearing-in, Chief Minister Joseph Vijay posed for a selfie with Rahul Gandhi and members of his Council of Ministers.

Addressing the gathering, Vijay said his foremost priority would be curbing the growing drug menace among the youth. He also listed education, healthcare, infrastructure development, drinking water supply and law and order among the key focus areas of his government.

“From today onward, I will begin taking strong measures to control drug abuse. It is our duty to save our youngsters from it. Likewise, I will ensure law and order and guarantee safety for everyone. Even if some people humiliate me, whether they are friends or enemies, all eight crore people are still my people,” he said.

“My heart tells me that I must give complete attention to education, roads, drinking water facilities and other essential services. As I said before, I will not touch even a single paisa of the people’s money,” the new Chief Minister added.

Joseph Vijay’s Cabinet is largely dominated by first-time ministers, with the notable exception of K. A. Sengottaiyan, a ten-time MLA and former minister.

After Vijay, Anand was sworn in as minister. Popularly known as “Bussy Anand,” he hails from Puducherry and had earlier represented a constituency there. An ardent admirer of Vijay, Anand served as president of Vijay’s fan association in Puducherry and organised several humanitarian and welfare initiatives under its banner. He was elected from T. Nagar and is widely regarded as the second most influential leader in TVK after Vijay himself.

Aadhav Arjuna is, quite literally, the “tallest” member of the cabinet. A former basketball player, he had earlier served as president of the Basketball Federation. Before joining TVK, he was briefly associated with the DMK in 2021 and later moved to the VCK. He also founded a political consultancy organisation called One Mind India, which was later renamed Voice of Commons. More significantly, he is the son-in-law of lottery baron Santiago Martin. Aadhav Arjuna currently serves as the general secretary of TVK.

Seventy-eight-year-old K. A. Sengottaiyan is among the seniormost legislators in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and was once considered a close confidant of J. Jayalalithaa. A former minister in Jayalalithaa’s Cabinet, he drifted away from the AIADMK after sharp disagreements with Edappadi K. Palaniswami. He joined TVK in 2025 after his attempts to reunite rival AIADMK factions failed.

K. G. Arunraj, a former civil servant, hails from Salem district and has been elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from the Tiruchengode constituency. A former Indian Revenue Service officer, Dr Arunraj currently serves as the general secretary (policy and propaganda) of TVK. A medical doctor by training, he graduated from Madras Medical College and worked as a doctor before joining the civil services.

C. T. V. Nirmal Kumar, the spokesperson and joint general secretary of TVK, had earlier worked in the BJP as president of its IT and social media wing. He later moved to the AIADMK, where too he handled the party’s IT and social media operations, before eventually joining TVK. He represents the Thirupparankundram constituency in Madurai district. Nirmal Kumar holds degrees in engineering and law, besides a Master’s degree in criminology.

A. Rajmohan, another first-time MLA, was elected from the reserved constituency of Egmore. He entered public life as a social media influencer and television host and later gained popularity for his oratory skills. Rajmohan holds a degree in management along with a diploma in journalism.

Another newcomer to the Assembly, P. Venkitaramanan, is an advocate with an academic background in commerce and management. He currently serves as the treasurer of TVK and has been elected from the Mylapore constituency.

Dr Prabhu, a dentist by profession, is another minister who entered TVK through his social media outreach activities. He completed a Master of Science degree at Goethe University Frankfurt in 2022. Representing the Karaikudi constituency, Dr Prabhu has built considerable popularity among Gen Z audiences through his online engagement.

Another newcomer — and the youngest member of both the Assembly and the Cabinet — is Keerthana, the 29-year-old MLA from Sivakasi. Though entering active politics for the first time, she had earlier worked as a political consultant with Showtime Consulting and IPAC, and was involved in election campaigns for the TDP, TMC and DMK.

Joseph Vijay’s ministry is expected to be expanded after the confidence vote, which is scheduled to take place by Wednesday. Among the former allies of the DMK, all except the Congress have, for now, decided to stay out of the government. The Congress, which has five MLAs in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, is expected to secure two cabinet berths.