Narayanasamy to be sworn in as Pondy CM today with five-member cabinet

Along with Narayanasamy, five Congress legislators — A Namassivayam, Malladi Krishna Rao, Shah Jahan, M Kandasamy and R Kamalakannan (all are former ministers) — will be swornin as ministers, Assistant Director of Information and Publicity I Ganapathy said. 

Lt Governor Kiran Bedi will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the six-member team of ministers at ‘Gandhi Thidal’ near the sea shore at 12.10 pm, Ganapathy said. 69-year-old Narayanasamy, who had served as Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office in the second UPA government after serving as MoS Parliamentary Affairs in UPA-I, did not contest the May 16 Assembly election and will now have to seek election to the legislature in a by-poll. 

The Congress leader had called on Bedi at Raj Nivas on May 30 and staked claim to form the ministry. He had also presented to Bedi letters of the Congress legislators and also DMK, expressing support to his leadership. Raj Nivas sources said that the Lt Governor had invited Narayanasamy to form the government. The Union Home Ministry had approved Narayanasamy’s letter staking claim to form government. Narayanasamy had also submitted to Bedi the names of the Congress legislators to be his cabinet colleagues. Meanwhile, DMK leader M Karunanidhi lauded Narayanasamy for his “genuine work” and expressed confidence that the Congress government will usher in growth and development for the people of the Union Territory