Edappadi Palanisamy sworn in as CM, crisis may blow over
Updated by admin on
Thursday, February 16, 2017 06:06 PM IST
Chennai:
Edappadi Palanisamy was on Feb 16 sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu by acting Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, thus creating a situation for the political crisis engulfing the State to blow over. EPS heads a 31-strong cabinet, largely comprising of the outgoing cabinet installed by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
That the AIADMK Legislature Party with nearly 125 MLAs in the 234-strong Assembly held a clear majority, with the number of rebels headed by O Panneerselvam not crossing ten, was never in doubt to political observers but the Governor ale adopted a partisan view to deny the party its right to have a CM sworn in. Initially, his objection seemed to be (there was only a leaked report) that the party general secretary V K Sasikala could be comvicted in the Disproportionate Assets case, and he wished to wait for the outcome. But even after the judgment was delivered, and Sasikala stepped down, and the AIADMK legislature party elected a new leader, the Governor continued to dilly-dally, preferring to go by the reports of vested interests backing OPS that mass-scale desertions to OPS camp, and that he would have a majority. How the Governor believed that half a dozen could suddenly turn to over 120, remains a mystery.
Finally, the swearing in did happen on Thursday evening to the relief of the AIADMK MLAs, who cheered their new CM. EPS has been asked to seek a vote of confidence within 15 days. All members of outgoing Cabinet except Panneerselvam and Ma Foi K. Pandiarajan were retained.
Following is the full list of ministers with portfolios:
The new Ministers and their portfolios:
Edappadi K. Palanisamy: - Home, Finance, PWD, Irrigation, Highways, Public, Elections, Personnel
Dindigul Srinivasan - Forest
Sengottaiyan - School Education - (new minister).
O.S. Manian - Handlooms
Sellur Raju - Cooperation
C Vijaya Baskar - Health
D Jayakumar - Fisheries
M C Sampath - Industries
Karupannan - Environment
Thangamani - Electricity
Velumani - Municipal Administration
C.Ve Shanmugham - Law
K.P. Anbazhagan - Higher Education
Kamaraj - Food and Civil Supplies
V. Saroja - Social Welfare
K. Radhakrishnan - Housing and Urban Development
Duraikannu- Agriculture
Kadambur Raju - Information and Publicity
R.B. Udhayakumar - Revenue
Natarajan - Tourism
K.C. Veeramani - Commercial Taxes
K.T. Rajendra Balaji - Milk and Dairy Development
P.Benjamin - Rural Industries
Dr Nilofer Kafeel - Labour
M.R.Vijayabhaskar - Transport
Dr. M. Manikandan - Information Technology
V.M. Rajalakshmi - Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare
G. Baskaran - Khadi and Village Industries Board
Sevvoor S. Ramachandran - Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments
S.Valarmathi - Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare
P. Balakrishna Reddy - Animal Husbandry