After dissension among the allies over sharing of power combusted over seven weeks since the Union Territory’s first NDA government was elected to power on May 2, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy submitted a list of the Council of Ministers to Lt. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Wednesday.
Mr. Rangasamy, who had all along been keeping allies and close aides guessing on the composition of his Cabinet, met the Lt. Governor at Raj Nivas to hand over the list.
When approached by media persons as he emerged from the meeting, the Chief Minister declined to disclose names merely stating that they would be known in due course.
The convention is for the Lt. Governor to forward the list to the Union Home Ministry which would seek the Presidential nod. An approval from the high office would clear the way for the Lt. Governor to schedule a swearing-in ceremony.
Even though Mr. Rangasamy assumed office on May 7, the constitution of the Cabinet had been delayed after it was engulfed in bitter wrangling between the BJP and the AINRC over the post of Deputy Chief Minister, Speaker and Ministerial berths.
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Mr. Rangasamy’s hospitalisation for COVID-19 in the second week of May only added to the delay. Even as he was out of action for a couple of weeks, the BJP snagged all three nominated legislator posts much to the chagrin of Mr. Rangasamy. Perhaps, as a sign of his displeasure over this, Mr. Rangasamy chose to remain aloof to the BJP’s moves for negotiations after he recovered and resumed office.
Eventually, after the intervention of the BJP’s national leadership, the allies returned to the negotiating table and under an agreement, it was decided that the BJP would be allotted the post of Speaker and two Ministerial berths while the AINRC would keep the post of Deputy Speaker and three Ministerial berths.