CHENNAI: Seven MLAs belonging to the Scheduled Caste community have found representation in the Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Vijay following the recent expansion of the Tamil Nadu Ministry.
Among them, only a few have been entrusted with major portfolios, while others have been allocated relatively low-profile departments.
School Education Minister Rajmohan had already been sworn in during the formation of the initial Cabinet and continues to hold the key portfolio.
During the Cabinet expansion, six more Scheduled Caste MLAs were inducted into the Ministry.
V Gandhiraj, representing Arakkonam, was appointed Minister for Cooperation, while S Kamali, elected from Avinashi, was given the Animal Husbandry portfolio.
K Thennarasu, representing Sriperumbudur, assumed charge as Minister for Non-Resident Tamils Welfare.
D Logesh Tamilselvan, son of former Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal, was allocated the Commercial Taxes and Registration portfolio, considered one of the important departments in the government.
P Mathan Raja, representing Ottapidaram, was inducted as Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Another notable induction was that of Congress MLA P Viswanathan, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community and was elected from the general constituency of Melur.
Former MLA Se Ku Tamilarasan said fielding Scheduled Caste candidates in general constituencies was not new to Tamil Nadu politics. "In the 1952 election, Vedhamanickam, grandfather of DMK spokesperson Thamizhan Prasanna, contested from the general constituency of Virudhachalam. Likewise, Dalit leader Dalit Ezhilmalai contested the Trichy Lok Sabha constituency under the AIADMK banner. In the same path, P Viswanathan contested from the general constituency of Melur, " he said.
In the previous DMK government headed by M K Stalin, four Ministers from the Scheduled Caste community were part of the Cabinet — Govi Chezhiaan, Kayalvizhi Selvaraj, C V Ganesan and M Mathiventhan. Except for Chezhiaan, the others handled relatively less prominent portfolios.