Rangasamy finalises cabinet, submits list of members to Lt Guv

Ending more than a month's suspense, the cabinet formation in Puducherry finally took shape on Wednesday with Chief Minister N Rangasamy submitting a list of members to be included in his ministry, including two BJP MLAs, to Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.

Though the AINRC-led NDA had swept the April 6 Assembly polls in this union territory, the cabinet formation dragged on for long as the saffron party initially insisted for a deputy CM post for one of its MLAs but later settled for the post of the Assembly Speaker.

Soon after leading his alliance to a win, AINRC founder Nangasamy was sworn-in as chief minister on May 6 while BJP's 'Embalam' R Selvam was elected unopposed as Speaker of the Puducherry Assembly on June 16. On Wednesday, Rangasamy submitted the names of persons to be inducted in his led cabinet to Soundararjan and it would now be a six-member ministry with four from AINRC, including the chief minister and two from the BJP.

According to official sources, the Lt Governor would send the list to the Union Home Ministry, which would forward it to the President for his nod as per procedure relating to the Union Territory.

The AINRC and BJP constituting the NDA together have a strength of 16 MLAs and enjoy the support of three nominated legislators belonging to the saffron party. The BJP's representatives in the cabinet would include A Namassivayam, a paty source said. Details of names of the remaining BJP member and those from AINRC are awaited.