Former Union Minister of State and AICC general secretary V. Narayanasamy was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Puducherry at the Gandhi Thidal here on Monday.
Five Congress legislators were also sworn in as Ministers.
Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Narayanasamy and the five Ministers – A. Namassivayam, Malladi Krishna Rao, M. Candassamy, M.O.H. F. Shahjahan and R. Kamalakannan.
The oath was administered shortly after Chief Secretary Manoj Parida read out the Presidential notification. While Mr. Namassivayam, Mr. Candassamy, Mr. Shah Jahan and Mr. Kamalakannan took the oath of office and secrecy in Tamil, Mr. Malladi Krishna Rao preferred Telugu.
Mr. Narayanasamy, for whom this is the first term as Chief Minister, is the second Congress leader after P. Shanmugam, to head a Ministry without being a member of the Assembly.
AICC general secretaries Mukul Wasnik and Chinna Reddy, DMK treasurer and Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu M.K. Stalin, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president E.V.K.S. Elangovan, Thirukovilur MLA K. Ponmudi and newly elected MLAs of the Congress were among those present at the ceremony.
A large number of Congress cadres attended the swearing-in ceremony.
Legislators of the AINRC including former Chief Minister N. Rangasamy and MLAs of the AIADMK were conspicuous by their absence. Congress Legislator K. Lakshminarayanan, one of the aspirants for the Ministerial berth was also absent in the function.
The Congress which has 15 MLAs in the 30-member House has formed the Ministry with the support of the two DMK MLAs.
