DMK leaders express optimism in having a functional Cabinet after meeting L-G

Leader of DMK legislature party A. M. H. Nazeem has expressed optimism in having a functional Cabinet in Puducherry very shortly.

Talking to reporters after calling on Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan on Friday, Mr. Nazeem said the portfolios for the Ministers in the NDA Cabinet could be announced soon. “After talking to the Lt. Governor, we got an impression that the portfolio list will be published in a day or two. So, we [DMK] don’t need to stage a protest over the issue of delay in allocating the portfolios to the Ministers,” he said. 

Mr. Nazeem said the party legislators decided to call on the Lt. Governor following the statement made by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy that he had submitted the portfolio list to Mr. Kailashnathan. “We decided to meet the Lt. Governor to find the reason for the delay in notifying the portfolio list submitted by the Chief Minister. We told him that the delay was hampering development and welfare works. Though he did not give us the reason for the delay, the Lt. Governor told us that the list will be published soon,” Mr. Nazeem said.

The Union Territory is yet to have a functional Cabinet though the NDA under Mr. Rangasamy returned to power in the Assembly elections held in April this year. After the results were declared on May 4, Mr. Rangasamy along with two Ministers (one from AINRC and the other from BJP) were sworn-in on May 13. A month later, three more Ministers (two from AINRC and one from BJP) were sworn-in on June 17. The Chief Minister had met the Lt. Governor on July 20 and submitted the list of portfolios to him.