The oath taking ceremony of Pro-tem Speaker A. Anbalagan is likely to take place at the Lok Niwas on Monday.

Mr. Anbalagan, a five-time legislator belonging to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, was appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, K. Kailashnathan, as the Pro-tem Speaker of the Puducherry Assembly on Friday.

Following his appointment, the Lieutenant Governor would administer the oath to the Pro-tem Speaker before a small gathering, comprising Chief Minister N. Rangasamy and the newly-elected legislators. As per legislative rules, the Pro-tem Speaker would administer the oath to the newly-elected legislators.

According to a source, the oath taking of legislators was likely to take place at the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.

Cabinet expansion

Talks are on within the All India N R Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party to fill the remaining three Ministerial berths in the second National Democratic Alliance government in the Union Territory. 

After the NDA returned to power in the Assembly elections, Mr. Rangasamy had sworn-in as Chief Minister for the fifth time on May 13. Along with him, A. Namassivayam of the BJP and Malladi Krishna Rao of the AINRC were sworn-in as Ministers in Mr. Rangasamy’s Cabinet on the same day. 

As per the understanding between the two major partners in the NDA, the five Ministerial berths — three for AINRC and two for BJP — were to be shared by them. While the AINRC has 12 legislators, the BJP has four and the alliance partners AIADMK and LJK have one legislator each in the 30-member Puducherry Assembly. 

“As far the AINRC was concerned, the Chief Minister is holding talks with his legislators to decide the two Ministerial candidates while the BJP Central leadership was weighing various options to decide on theirs. A clarity on Cabinet expansion is likely to emerge next week,” the source said.