With barely a few months to go for the Assembly polls, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy has opted to expand his Cabinet by roping in Karaikal MLA P.R. Siva in his team of Ministers.
According to sources, All India NR Congress MLA P.R.Siva who is representing Thirunallar constituency, will be formally sworn in as a Minister by Lieutenant Governor A.K.Singh at the Raj Nivas on Monday.
M.Chandrakasu, P.Rajavelu, N.G.Pannirselvam and T.Thiagarajan are the ministers in the cabinet of Chief Minister N.Rangasamy already. There has been a persistent demand among the ruling party MLAs to fill the one slot which had been kept unfilled.
The Chief Minister is also learnt to have met the Lt. Governor regarding the Cabinet expansion.
Meanwhile, speculation is rife over what portfolios would be allocated to the new Minister with the talk doing the rounds hinting that the tourism and education domains might be carved up.
The Cabinet expansion is another surprise move by Mr. Rangasamy after the deal he struck with arch rival AIADMK on the eve of the Rajya Sabha polls to quell a threat to his Government by a group of dissident MLAs. The Chief Minister managed the crisis by fielding party nominee N.Gokulakrishnan as the candidate of AIADMK.
The induction of Mr. Siva can be seen to placate sections within and outside the party that have been clamouring over the neglect of the Karaikal region.
“It might very well be that the Chief Minister has chosen Mr.Siva as minister to address this,” said a senior leader of the party.
Hailing from agriculture family in Thirunallar, Karaikal, Mr. Siva is the second time MLA. Mr.Siva started his political career a member of MDMK in 2005 and later elected as an MLA in 2006 representing MDMK.
Ahead of 2011 Assembly polls, Mr.Siva came out from the party due to difference of opinion with MDMK leader Vaiko and joined the AINRC. He was offered seat by Mr.Rangasamy to contest the polls in 2011 and won polls.
The 40-year-old MLA is also chairman of Puducherry Power Corporation Limited and Tirnallar Temple City Development Authority.
Siva will be formally sworn in by LG A.K. Singh at the Raj Nivas on Monday
