Former Member of Parliament and president of the Puducherry Maanila Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, M. Ramadass, has urged President Droupadi Murmu to seek a factual report from Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan on the functioning of the ruling AINRC-BJP government and the reasons for the continued non-allocation of portfolios to the Ministers.
In a representation to the President, Mr. Ramadass said Chief Minister N. Rangasamy and two other Ministers were sworn in on May 13 after the National Democratic Alliance returned to power in the 2026 Assembly polls. After a prolonged delay, three more Ministers were sworn-in on June 17.
However, even two months after the declaration of the Assembly election results, no portfolios have been allocated to the Ministers. Every department of the Government continued to remain under the “exclusive” charge of the Chief Minister. Consequently, although a Council of Ministers formally exists, none of the Ministers has been entrusted with executive responsibility for any department, the representation said.
“To the best of my knowledge, such a prolonged situation is without precedent in the constitutional history of the Union Territory. The Constitutional scheme governing Puducherry is embodied in Article 239A of the Constitution of India and the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, which provide for a Legislative Assembly and a Council of Ministers to aid and advise the Administrator [the Lt. Governor] in the exercise of executive functions. The parliamentary system established under our Constitution rests upon the foundational principle of collective responsibility, under which each Minister is entrusted with specific executive responsibilities,” the representation said.
Although neither the Constitution nor the Government of Union Territories Act prescribes a specific time frame within which portfolios must be allocated, the constitutional framework clearly contemplates that, once Ministers are appointed and sworn in, they should be entrusted with the administration of departments so that the Government could function effectively.
In view of the delay caused, the MP said, the President should seek a factual report from the Lt Governor on the functioning of the government. The President should request the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to examine whether the present situation was consistent with the constitutional scheme governing the administration of the Union Territory, the representation said.
“Your Excellency should take steps that are constitutionally appropriate to safeguard responsible government and ensure that the people of Puducherry receive effective administration,” Mr. Ramadass said in the representation.
Published - July 11, 2026 01:03 pm IST