Five Ministers- Two From BJP- Take Oath In Puducherry

Fifty days after N Rangasamy took over as the Chief Minister of Puducherry, five MLAs -- including two from the BJP -- are taking over as ministers in the Union Territory. The long power-sharing talks between the NR Congress and the BJP concluded earlier this week and the announcement was made on Friday, ending the suspense over government formation. This is the first time the BJP -- which does not have much of a presence in the former French colony -- is becoming part of the government.

One of two BJP leaders to join the cabinet is Namassivayayam, who had quit the Congress just before polls. The other is Sai J Saravanan Kumar.

From NR Congress, K Lakshminarayanan, C Djeacoumar and Chandira Priyanga are taking oath. Chandira Priyanga will be the first woman minister of Puducherry in more than four decades.

Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who received the list from the Chief Minister on Wednesday, administered the oath of office to the new ministers. The total strength of the ministry will be six.

The BJP forged an alliance with the NR Congress when the Congress government led by V Narayanasamy collapsed after a group of MLAs resigned and crossed over to the BJP.

After the election victory, Chief Minister Rangasamy took oath on May 7, but the cabinet formation hit a roadblock as the two parties bickered over the berths.

The BJP, which initially demanded the post of Mr Rangasamy's deputy, finally settled for the post of the Speaker and on June 16, ''Embalam'' R Selvam was elected unopposed.

Supporters of John Kumar -- a former Congress MLA who was elected as a BJP candidate this time -- had recently held protests demanding a ministerial berth for him.

Today he told reporters, "I am indeed sad but I am firm in my belief that only the BJP can develop Puducherry as it is in power at the Centre".

The AINRC had won 10 of the Union Territory's 30 assembly seats in the recently concluded assembly election, the BJP won six.

The Congress, which ruled the state, found its number of seats drop from 15 to two. Its ally DMK did better, winning six seats.