Narayanasamy sworn in as Puducherry CM

Former Union Minister of State and AICC general secretary V. Narayanasamy was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Puducherry at the Gandhi Thidal here on Monday.

Five Congress Legislators were also sworn in as Ministers. Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Narayanasamy and the five Ministers – A. Namassivayam, Malladi Krishna Rao, M. Candassamy, M.O.H. F. Shahjahan and R. Kamalakannan.

Ms. Bedi administered the oath in English to the Chief Ministers and Ministers shortly after Chief Secretary Manoj Parida read out the Presidential notification appointing Mr. Narayanasamy as Chief Minister of the Union Territory.

While Mr. Namassivayam, Mr. Candassamy, Mr. Shah Jahan and Mr. Kamalakannan took the oath of office and secrecy in Tamil, Mr. Malladi Krishna Rao took the oath in Telugu.

Mr. Narayanasamy, for whom this is the first term as Chief Minister, is the second Congress leader after P. Shanmugam, to head a Ministry without being a member of the Assembly.

AICC general secretaries Mukul Wasnik, Chinna Reddy, DMK Treasurer and Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu M.K. Stalin, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president E.V.K.S. Elangovan, Thirukovilur MLA K. Ponmudi and newly elected MLAs of the Congress were among those present at the ceremony.

A large number of Congress cadres were present at the Gandhi Thidal chanting slogans during the swearing-in ceremony. Legislators of the AINRC including former Chief Minister N. Rangasamy and MLAs of the AIADMK were conspicuous by their absence at the function.

The Congress which has 15 MLAs in the 30-member House has formed the Ministry with the support of the two DMK MLAs.