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Vaithilingam next Chief Minister

Staff Reporter

V. Vaithilingam

PUDUCHERRY: Industries and Power Minister V. Vaithilingam was on Thursday elected the new leader of the Congress Legislature Party following the resignation of N. Rangasamy as Chief Minister.

Mr. Rangasamy called on Lieutenant Governor Govind Singh Gurjar around noon and submitted his resignation along with the Council of Ministers. Soon after that, the CLP meeting, attended by Congress MLAs, unanimously elected Mr. Vaithilingam the new leader. In the evening, a delegation of Congress MLAs, led by All India Congress Committee general secretary K.B. Krishnamoorthy, met the Lieutenant Governor and handed over the CLP resolution and a letter of Pradesh Congress Committee chief A.V. Subramaniam urging him to invite Mr. Vaithilingam to form the next government.

Representatives of the Pattali Makkal Katchi, an alliance partner of the Congress government in the Union Territory, and three Independents handed over letters pledging support to the next government.

Mr. Krishnamoorthy told reporters that another alliance partner, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, also extended support. Mr. Vaithilingam along with his Council of Ministers is likely to be sworn in on Monday after a formal communication from Raj Nivas. There would be one new face in the next Cabinet, Mr. Krishnamoorthy said. Party sources said A. Namassivayam might be given a berth to fill the vacancy. The party would “certainly” utilise Mr. Rangasamy’s services. Mr. Rangasamy had conveyed to the Congress high command that he would abide by the party’s decision, he said.

The newly elected CLP leader told reporters that he would continue with all the welfare measures initiated by the Congress Government.

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