CHENNAI: The many aspects are interesting if you go for a comparative look at the Cabinets now formed by AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa and her predecessor, DMK president M Karunanidhi. There are quite a few curious points going by the terms of age, education, community, number of women members in the two set-ups.
For the record, Jayalalithaa has formed the largest Cabinet in Tamil Nadu since Independence. On May 13, it saw the swearing in of 34 members—four more than what Karunanidhi had till a recently.
Both the DMK leader, during 2006-2011, and now the AIADMK supremo have attempted to give opportunities for almost all communities in their Cabinets. The Jayalalithaa Cabinet, though, has more number of representatives from Gongu Vellala and Thevar communities that are strong in the state’s western and southern belts. Both leaders have tried their level best to accommodate members from all regions of the state.
While giving ministerial berths, the DMK did face difficulties as it had to satisfy many of the second-rung leaders in various parts of the State and oblige the recommendations from Karunanidhi’s own family. As for Jayalalithaa, she has no such compulsions—she has left out some of the key loyalists in the Cabinet and introduced 24 new faces most of them are graduates and post-graduates.
Going by educational qualification, the AIADMK ministry has eight post-graduates and 17 graduates. One Minister is a doctor. This, when the DMK Ministry had 11 graduates, three post-graduates, one minister with a PhD doctorate and another minister a doctor by profession. Most of others studied up to either higher secondary course or SSLC.
Age factor: The Karunanidhi Cabinet had the following break-up age group wise: 30 to 40: 3, 40 to 50: 11, 50 to 60: 5, 60 to 70: 7, 70 to 80: 3 and 80 to 90: 2. Its average age was 56.40. The Jayalalithaa Cabinet breakup: 30 to 40: 2, 40 to 50: 10, 50 to 60: 15 and 60 to 70: 7. No minister in is above 66 years old. The average age: 50.67.