The Central region has bagged seven berths in the Council of Ministers announced on Saturday.
While Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar of Viralimalai constituency and Food Minister R. Kamaraj of Nannilam have been retained in the Cabinet with the portfolios they held in the previous Cabinet, the other five are new faces.
In consonance with its predominantly agrarian profile, the Cauvery delta has been allocated weighty Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food portfolios in the new Cabinet.
Thanjavur district is represented in the Cabinet by Papanasam MLA R. Duraikannu who has been allocated the Agriculture and Animal Husbandry departments in the new Jayalalithaa cabinet. Mr. Duraikannu won the Papanasam constituency in the district first in 2006 and then retained it comfortably in the 2011 and 2016 elections.
The former Housing and Agriculture Minister R. Vaithilingam’s defeat in Orathanad constituency has helped Mr. Duraikannu’s entry into the Cabinet.
Outgoing Food and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister R. Kamaraj (55) retains his portfolios in the new Cabinet also. Representing the Nannilam constituency in Tiruvarur district, Mr. Kamaraj was the only victor for the ruling party from Tiruvarur district’s four constituencies.
Vedaranyam MLA and party senior O.S. Manian has been allocated the Handlooms and Textiles portfolio in the Cabinet.
Although he has been a Rajya Sabha member and had represented Mayiladuthurai constituency in the Lok Sabha, this is the first time Mr. Manian is entering the Assembly and straight away gets a Ministerial berth. Incidentally, he had been the party's propaganda secretary.
Tourism Minister Vellamandi Natarajan (66), who won from Tiruchi East constituency, is a senior hand in the party and has been in the party since former Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran founded the party.
He had previously served as the party Tiruchi Urban district secretary. However, he is a new entrant to the Assembly.
On being re-elected from Srirangam, S. Valarmathi (50), a former councillor, has been allocated the Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Department.
She shot into prominence after winning the by-election from Srirangam constituency in February 2015 when Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had to vacate her seat following her conviction in the disproportionate assets case.
The new Transport Minister M.R. Vijaya Baskar (51), who scraped through in Karur constituency by a narrow margin of 441 votes, is a former councillor of Thanthoni Panchayat Union.
Mr. Vijaya Baskar was made Karur district secretary in the place of Senthil Balaji a few months ago, but was removed from the post later.
Despite those reverses, he had been given the party ticket to contest from Karur constituency while Mr. Senthil Balaji, who represented Karur in the previous Assembly, was shifted to Aravakurichi.
