PUDUCHERRY: After a gap of over four decades, Puducherry will have another woman minister with Chief Minister N Rangasamy deciding to induct Chandira Priyanga into his Cabinet along with four others.
Priyanga, the AINRC MLA from Nedungadu (SC) constituency in Karaikal region of the Union territory, will be a minister in the NDA government of the AINRC and BJP, according to AINRC sources. She is the daughter of M Chandirakasu, who was a minister in the earlier AINRC government of Rangasamy in 2011. Priyanga was chosen over former minister P Rajavelu and others as she represents the outlying region of Karaikal, Scheduled Caste community and also women. She will be the first SC woman to become a minister in Puducherry.
Earlier, Renuka Appadurai, elected from Reddiarpalayam constituency on an Indian National Congress (I) ticket in 1980, became the first woman minister in the UT. She held the portfolios of Education Minister in the DMK-Congress coalition government led by D Ramachandran of DMK.
The other ministers to be inducted are former ministers A Namassivayam (BJP), elected from Mannadipet constituency, K Lakshminarayanan (AINRC) from Raj Bhavan, C “Theni” Jayakumar (AINRC) from Mangalam and first-time MLA Sai J Saravana Kumar (BJP) elected from Ossudu (SC). They are all slated to be sworn in on July 27, outside the gates of Raj Nivas.
The Chief Minister had submitted the list of Ministers to Lt. Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan on Wednesday. She forwarded the list to the Union Home Ministry for assent by President Ram Nath Kovind, which was given on Wednesday evening, sources said.
Namassivayam, the former PWD minister who had won earlier election from Oulgaret and Villianur constituencies on a Congress ticket, shifted to Mannadipet constituency as he switched over to the BJP and won the election. He is likely to be the Home Minister in the NDA government. It will be his fourth stint as minister.
Lakshminarayanan, a five-time MLA and former Education, Revenue and Tourism minister (2001-2006), will be a minister for the second time. Theni C Jayakumar, who was earlier Local Administration Minister in the DMK-TMC government from 1996-2000, will also become minister for the second time.
Priyanga, a second-time MLA, and Saravanan Kumar will be ministers for the first time.