After being out of power for 59 years in Tamil Nadu, the Congress is poised to join the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government headed by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Thursday, ushering in a coalition era in the Dravidian State.The party, which won five Assembly seats in the alliance led by the DMK, was the first to rush to Mr. Vijay’s aid as he fell short of the majority mark.Mr. Vijay is set to expand his 10-member Cabinet. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar will administer the oath of office and secrecy to more than 20 new Ministers at 10 a.m. in Lok Bhavan on Thursday.Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal on Wednesday said party president Mallikarjun Kharge had approved the induction of Congress Legislature Party leader S. Rajesh Kumar (Killiyoor) and P. Viswanathan (Melur) into the Council of Ministers. Mr. Kumar is likely to be allocated Tourism portfolio and Mr. Viswanathan Higher Education.Congratulating both the Congress MLAs over phone, Mr. Vijay said the TVK and Congress would sail together for the welfare of the people.Earlier in the day, the TVK invited the VCK and the IUML to join the Cabinet. If the two parties agree to join the government, it would pave the way for a major political realignment in the state. Published - May 20, 2026 10:28 pm IST