29-Year-Old S Keerthana Steals the Show as Youngest and Only Woman in Vijay's Cabinet

Chennai: As Tamil Nadu's new government led by Chief Minister Vijay was sworn in at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the spotlight fell on S. Keerthana — a 29-year-old who has become both the youngest minister and the only woman in the Cabinet.

Keerthana, a native of Virudhunagar and daughter of Sampath, won brilliantly from the Sivakasi constituency — ending seven decades of male dominance in a seat that has never before elected a woman MLA. She thus becomes the first woman legislator in Sivakasi's history. The constituency was previously represented by Congress's A.M.S.G. Asokan.

A Mathematics graduate from Madurai Kamaraj University and a Statistics postgraduate from Pondicherry University (2019), Keerthana worked as a political advisor and digital campaign strategist before entering active politics. She played a key role in TVK's formation and in attracting young people to the party.

Speaking to the media after taking oath, she said Vijay had given the new generation an opportunity unmatched anywhere else in the country, and pledged that the government would be a model of good governance for the world.

Vijay's government has been formed with TVK's 108 seats supplemented by support from Congress, CPI(M), CPI, VCK, and IUML, giving the alliance a majority of over 118. Left secular parties extended their support with the stated goal of keeping the BJP's communal agenda entirely out of Tamil soil.