Puducherry [India], June 17 (ANI): VP Sivakolundhu, P Rajavelu and GNS Rajasekaran, on Wednesday, were inducted as ministers into the Puducherry Cabinet led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy.
Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers.
The induction of three ministers with a swearing-in ceremony was held at the Lok Niwas of the Union territory.
The cabinet expansion comes after the Chief Minister forwarded the list of names to the Union Home Ministry, which has now given its approval for the reshuffle in the Puducherry government.
Earlier on May 20, Puducherry Legislative Assembly Pro-tem Speaker Anbalagan administered the oath of office to the newly elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).
On May 15, MLA A Anbalagan was appointed as the pro-tem Speaker of the 16th Puducherry Legislative Assembly by the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, K Kailashnathan, on the recommendation of Chief Minister N Rangasamy.
Anbalagan is the sole AIADMK MLA in Puducherry. He won the Oupalam seat after defeating Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) candidate S Siva by a margin of 1026 votes.
The appointment comes days after N Rangasamy took charge as the Chief Minister of Puducherry following the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) victory in the recently concluded Assembly elections.
Rangasamy, founder of the All India NR Congress (AINRC), was sworn in as Chief Minister on May 13. Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K Kailashnathan administered the oath of office and secrecy during a ceremony attended by BJP National President Nitin Nabin and senior leaders of the alliance.
The oath-taking ceremony followed the Puducherry Assembly election results declared on May 4, in which the NDA retained power in the Union Territory.
In the 30-member Assembly, NR Congress secured 12 of 30 seats, while the BJP won four seats. AIADMK bagged one seat. The DMK won five seats, and Congress secured one seat. Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) also opened its account by winning two seats in its debut election in the UT. (ANI)