TN cabinet expansion a push for Rahul Gandhi as PM, says Congress MP

Congress MP Manickam Tagore hails the Tamil Nadu cabinet expansion as a move that will push Rahul Gandhi as a PM candidate. He asserts the TVK-led government is stable, while the party's state secretary welcomed the representation in the cabinet.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Thursday lauded the expansion of the Tamil Nadu cabinet, recognising it as a push for the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, to become the Prime Minister candidate. Speaking with the media, the Congress MP hailed the party's representation in the cabinet and dismissed rumours about the government being unstable, affirming that it is a majority government which will work for the people. "This will be a strong momentum which will push Rahul Gandhi as the PM candidate. We will be able to secure 40/40 in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. It is already a stable govt...people who have been rejected by the people will keep on saying that there is no stability...numerically the govt is strong, and it has enough support of the floor of the House...it is a majority govt, and it will work for the people," he said.

Congress Welcomes Representation

Tamil Nadu Congress Secretary Anbazhagan also welcomed the decision and expressed gratitude towards the government for providing representation to the party. Stating that the party did not recieve proper recognition or benefits in the DMK alliance, Anbazhagan assured full cooperation and support to the TVK-led government. "We welcome the opportunity given to us through the coalition government by appointing ministers from our party after many decades. Until now, we had been functioning under the DMK without receiving proper recognition or benefits. In particular, we were not given any representation on boards or significant responsibilities. Even in the Corporation, no major concessions or opportunities were extended to us during the DMK regime, which caused us great disappointment. Now, through the alliance arrangement, we have been given an opportunity in the Cabinet. In return, we assure our party's full cooperation and support," he said.

Former Speaker's Son Inducted

Meanwhile, Former Speaker Dhanapal's son, Lokesh Tamilselvan, has also become a Tamil Nadu minister. Dhanapal was reportedly denied an AIADMK ticket. Tamil Nadu CM Vijay gave a ticket to his son, helped him become an MLA, and has now also given him an opportunity to serve as a Tamil Nadu minister.

Cabinet Expansion Details

This comes after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay expanded his cabinet as Ministers Rajesh Kumar and P Vishwanathan took oath of office at the Lok Bhavan in Chennai. Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath to the newly inducted ministers.

This comes after the Chief Minister recommended inducting 23 MLAs into the Council of Ministers, a proposal that was approved by the Tamil Nadu Governor. The total strength of the Council of Ministers is 35. With the latest expansion, 33 ministers have now taken the oath. Of the total ministerial composition, 21 MLAs are from the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and 2 are from the Congress. Chief Minister Vijay, along with nine other MLAs, had earlier taken oath on May 10 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. (ANI)

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