After 59 Yrs, Cong. Ministers in TN House
Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal announced the approval of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge for the induction of Vishwanathan, representing Melur, and Rajeshkumar: Reports
CHENNAI: After 59 years, the Congress is all set to be part of the Tamil Nadu government with the swearing of P. Vishwanathan and S. Rajeshkumar as ministers, along with some MLAs from the ruling Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) and representatives of allies the VCK and the IUML if they decide to join the ministry, at the first Cabinet expansion expected to happen on Thursday morning at the Raj Bhavan.
Giving an open call to allies such as the VCK and the IUML, besides the Congress that had lost power in the state in 1967 to the DMK, to join the Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, on Wednesday, minister for public works and sports development Aadhav Arjuna said that Vijay wanted the Cabinet to be like a family and the parties that supported the TVK in the vote of confidence to be part of it.
With Governor Rajendra Vishwanth Arleka scheduled to return to Chennai late on Wednesday night from Kerala, where he had gone for the swearing in of the new government there, the government was making arrangements for the swearing in that might see many more TVK representatives becoming Ministers.
Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal announced the approval of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge for the induction of Vishwanathan, representing Melur, and Rajeshkumar, third time MLA from Killiyoor, into the state ministry through a post in X.
While the Congress had identified its nominees to the Cabinet a few days earlier itself, the VCK and the IUML had sought a day to take a decision even on joining the government and had been urged to finalise it by Wednesday night. The breakaway group of the AIADMK, headed by C.V. Shanmugham and S.P. Velumani, is not joining the ruling coalition formally now.
The Chief Minister was keen on roping in representatives of other friendly parties into government run on the basis of social justice by following the principles of Ayodhya Dasar to whom the TVK leaders, including Mr Vijay, paid homage, Arjuna said.
He said the AIADMK should have functioned like an opposition party after the results but they did not and it was the Congress and Left parties who rallied together as a group to save democracy. The DMK which had pointed fingers at the AIADMK of being under the control of the BJP during the elections wanted to join hands with it after the elections, he alleged.
The secret alliance was planned with a view to bringing President’s rule in the state to scuttle the people’s verdict but the rival AIADMK group leaders did not ask for power sharing or any post in lieu of their support to the government, he said.
Arjuna’s claim was, however, refuted by O.S. Manian, former state minister and supporter of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami. He said if the AIADMK won 55 seats in the Assembly election it was only because of Palaniswami’s strident and consistent criticism of the DMK.
