Puducherry: Uncertainty in cabinet expansion in Puducherry continues even after BJP has submitted its list of two names for ministers in the NDA government led by AINRC chief, N. Rangasamy. While the earlier impasse was due to the BJP demanding a deputy chief minister's post and three ministerial berths, it has now settled for 2 ministers and Speaker's post. The AINRC will have three ministers other than the chief minister and the deputy Speaker's post.
After heated debates and arguments, the BJP has finalized the names of J. Sarvana Sai Kumar and A. Namassivayam as its nominees, thus leading to major unrest from the camp of John Kumar whose supporters had laid siege to the BJP office in Puducherry a few days ago. Kumar is in Delhi along with his son and MLA, Richard Johnkumar negotiating with the central leadership for a ministerial berth. It is, however, settled that the party would provide ministerial berths in rotation to MLAs, and seems to have pacified John Kumar, sources said.
Read: BJP's Embalam R Selvam sworn in as Puducherry Assembly Speaker
After the election results on May 2, the AINRC got 10 MLAs while BJP could win 6 seats and Rangasamy was of the opinion that the BJP would get proportional representation in the cabinet. The cabinet impasse continued even 44 days after N. Rangasami was sworn in as chief minister on May 7. In between, Rangasami was admitted to a Chennai hospital following Covid and BJP nominated three persons as legislators to the Puducherry assembly and also garnered support from three of the six independents, thus taking the tally of the saffron party to 12.
(IANS)
