Jayalalithaa, 28 ministers to take oath tomorrow at Madras University

Chennai: AIADMK supremo J.Jayalalithaa will be sworn in as Chief Minister for a record sixth time on Monday (May 23) at the head of a 28-member Cabinet which has an equal mix of experienced and new comers.

O. Panneerselvam will continue to hold the finance portfolio in the new government too. Jayalalithaa, who was elected as Leader of AIADMK Legislature Party on Friday evening, met Governor K. Rosaiah on Saturday and staked her claim to form the government by handing over the letter of her election as well as the list of ministers. She and her cabinet colleagues will take oath on Monday at noon at the Centenary Auditorium of Madras University.

While retaining 13 ministers of the outgoing cabinet, the Chief Minister also brought in party veteran Dindigul C. Srinivasan by making him forests ministers, allotting fisheries to D.Jayakumar, who had served as minister and Speaker of the Assembly in her previous governments and giving handlooms and textiles to another old-timer and former Rajya Sabha MP O. S. Manian.

Jayalalithaa will retain public, IAS, IPS, IFS, general administration, district revenue officers, police and home departments with her and inducted Udumalai Radhkrishnan, who was Chairman of Arasu Cable TV corporation, into the cabinet and allotted housing and urban development to him.