Chandira Priyanga Set To Be Puducherry's First Woman Minister In 40 Years

Late Congress leader Renuka Appadurai was the last woman minister from the UT during 1980-83 and handled the Education portfolio in the M D R Ramachandran (DMK)-led coalition ministry.

Puducherry would get its first woman minister in over four decades with the induction of AINRC legislator Chandira Priyanga in the N Rangasamy-led coalition cabinet, which will be expanded on June 27. Presidential nod has been accorded to the list of cabinet members submitted by Chief Minister Rangasamy to Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Tuesday. According to a Puducherry Gazette notification, "the President has been pleased to appoint" A Namassivayam, K Lakshminarayanan, C Djeacoumar, Chandira Priyanga and A K Sai J Saravana Kumar as Ministers in the cabinet. Lakshminarayanan, Djeacoumar and Priyanga represent lead partner AINRC, while Namassivayam and Saravana Kumar are from its ally BJP. Incidentally, this is the first time the saffron party is part of a Ministry in the Union Territory. Another first would be the induction of a woman member in the cabinet after 41 years, with Priyanga being chosen by Mr Rangasamy, who was sworn-in as chief minister on May 7.