Former TN speaker’s son inducted as minister in Vijay Cabinet

C. Joseph Vijay’s government inducted D Logesh Tamilselvan, son of former Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal, as Commercial Taxes Minister. The appointment highlights shifting political alignments in Tamil Nadu, with the AIADMK veteran expressing support for the new TVK-led government

Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal’s son D Logesh Tamilselvan was inducted as a minister in the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay-led TVK government on Thursday. Logesh, who won from Rasipuram Assembly (SC) constituency on Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam ticket, was administered oath as a minister by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the Lok Bhavan here in the presence of Vijay. He was made the Commercial Taxes and Registration Minister.

His father Dhanapal had been TN Assembly Speaker from 2012 to 2016 and 2016 to 2021, during the AIADMK regime and had quit the party before the Assembly election. “It’s been a long time since I quit the AIADMK,” Dhanapal, said after attending his son’s swearing-in as a minister.

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“I have been on rest, as I am not keeping well. I came to watch the swearing-in ceremony of my son in Chief Minister Vijay’s cabinet. I am happy to see him as minister,” Dhanapal told reporters. He had quit the AIADMK as he was not given importance and was constantly sidelined. “Hurt over this, my son joined the TVK and became a minister now,” he said.

Asked about the split in the AIADMK, with a majority of its legislators supporting TVK, he replied, “He (party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami) is facing the consequences. I am an example of not being accorded importance. So, I had to quit. I feel anguished that the AIADMK has split. But I see the new government under Vijay with delight.”