PUDUCHERRY: More than 50 days after All India NR Congress founder-leader N Rangasamy assumed charge as chief minister of the Union territory of Puducherry, his cabinet was expanded on June 27 with the induction of three AINRC MLAs – K Lakshminarayanan, Theni C Djeacoumar and Chandira Priyanga and two BJP MLAs – A Namassivayam and J Sai Saravanan as ministers.
Lieutenant governor (additional charge) Tamilisai Soundararajan administered the oath of office to the ministers in a simple ceremony in Raj Nivas adhering to Covid-19 protocols.
The portfolios of the ministers have not been announced yet.
This is the first time the saffron party is part of the government in the territory.
The party had, until now, elected only one representative to the assembly, in 2001 when A M Krishnamoorthy was elected on a BJP ticket from the erstwhile Reddiarpalayam constituency.
With the induction of Priyanga as a minister, the territory got a woman minister after a gap of 40 years.
Late Congress leader Renuka Appadurai was the last woman minister.
The ministry includes two dalit members and two vanniyar members.
Interestingly, when the Tamil Nadu BJP leaders objected to referring to the Centre as ‘Union government’, the BJP MLAs in Puducherry did not object to saying ‘Indian Union’ while taking oath.
Namassivayam took the oath first followed by Lakshminarayanan, Djeacoumar, Priyanga and Saravanan.
Rangasamy, speaker of the legislative assembly Embalam R Selvam, MLAs from AINRC and BJP parties, Tamil Nadu BJP leader L Murugan and a host of others participated in the ceremony.
The cabinet expansion was delayed after a tussle between the AINRC and the BJP on sharing ministerial berths besides holding the vital posts of speaker and deputy speaker of the assembly.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted greeting the newly inducted ministers.
“Best wishes to all those who took oath as ministers in Puducherry today.
May this team work with determination and fulfil the aspirations of the wonderful people of Puducherry,” Modi tweeted.