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N Sathiya Moorthy in Chennai
Tamil Nadu chief minister-designate J Jayalalithaa has dropped six incumbents and inducted eight new faces, thus heading a 27-strong Cabinet, which will be sworn in on Sunday.
Ending speculation, outgoing Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has been re-inducted as public works department minister with additional portfolios, in the place of revenue once held by him.
Restoring a forgotten tradition of announcing the list of ministers and their portfolios ahead of swearing in, ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief J Jayalalithaa has declared the names and portfolios for her new colleagues.
The list released by the Raj Bhavan has nine new faces, including that of Jayalalithaa, taking the total to 27.
Panneerselvam, who loyally kept the chief minister's chair warm for Jayalalithaa's imminent return, has been rewarded with additional portfolios.
He has been ranked number two naturally, and will be in charge of PWD, highways, irrigation including minor irrigation, and also prohibition of excise.
Prevention of Corruption, which used to be looked after by successive chief ministers in the past, has been allotted to him. So has been the prisons department, generally attached either to the home ministry, or the law ministry.
Jayalalithaa retains the home portfolio along with police and general administration. C Ponnaiyan, until now the number two, retains finance, but has been divested of the law ministry.
M Thambidurai retains education while D Jayakumar gets law, in the place of electricity. Another senior minister, N Thalavai Sundaram has been shifted from PWD to revenue.
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