Chennai, May 21:
Following the swearing-in at Lok Bhavan, C Joseph Vijay recommended a reshuffle of ministerial portfolios, with immediate effect after the Governor’s approval.
N Marie Wilson has been assigned the Finance portfolio, while senior leader KA Sengottaiyan has been moved to Revenue and Disaster Management. Srinath will handle Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare, and Kamali has been given charge of Animal Husbandry.
The Chief Minister retained Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) and additionally took charge of Special Initiatives, Poverty Alleviation and Rural Indebtedness. Women Welfare has been reallocated to K Jegadeshwari.
In a key political move, Congress MLA Rajesh Kumar has been inducted as Tourism Minister, while P Viswanathan has been assigned Higher Education. Ramesh, elected from Srirangam, has been allocated the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.
Significantly, the government has introduced a dedicated Artificial Intelligence portfolio, reflecting a Kerala-style governance model. R Kumar will oversee Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology and Digital Services, underlining the coalition’s focus on digital governance and emerging technologies.
This marks Tamil Nadu’s first coalition cabinet since 1952, and the first such experiment after the era of M. G. Ramachandran. The ministry features a mix of experienced leaders and a significant number of new and young faces, signalling a generational shift in governance.