Besides Jayalalithaa, three women get cabinet berths

Chennai: "The governor appointed her as CM of Tamil Nadu and invited her to form the ministry," said a statement from Raj Bhavan. Subsequently, the CM-designate handed over a letter containing the names of MLAs to be inducted into her cabinet.
Rosaiah, who approved the list, also appointed S Semmalai (Mettur) as speaker pro-tem. He will take oath before the Governor at 1.30pm on Monday at Raj Bhavan.
Some senior ministers have been rewarded with additional ministries.Highways and minor ports minister Edappadi K Palaniswami also gets public works department, while cooperative minister Sellur K Raju gets labour as well. Municipal administration and rural administration minister S P Velumani has been entrusted with 'special programme,' the department entrusted with the delivery of welfare schemes.
The cabinet includes two young faces, V M Rajalakshmi, 30, (Adi Dravidar and tribal welfare) and M Manikandan, 39, (information technology). Three women, besides Jayalalithaa, find place in the new cabinet.
Dindigul strongman and former MP C Srinivasan, who was sidelined for a few years due to infighting in the district unit headed by his protege Natham R Viswanathan, has been made forest minister. Another former MP, O S Manian has been made handlooms and textiles minister. Manian was recently appointed the Nagapattinam district secretary.
R Kamaraj (food, civil supplies and HR&CE), C Vijaya Baskar (health) and R B Udhayakumar (revenue) will retain their portfolios. P Thangamani gets electricity, a portfolio held earlier by Natham Vishwanathan and riddled with allegations of corruption in power purchase agreements, the major poll plank of the opposition in assembly polls. Vishwanathan was defeated in Athoor constituency.
M C Sampath will hold industries that has a huge task of realising Rs2.4 lakh crore investment commitments made in the global investors meet. S P Shanmuganathan (milk and dairy development), K T Rajenthra Bhalaji (rural industries) and K C Veeramani (commercial taxes). Long-time loyalists and former ministers D Jayakumar (fisheries), C Ve Shanmugam (law, courts and prisons) and K P Anbazhagan (higher education) have been rewarded.
Former Rasipuram MP V Saroja gets social welfare and noon meal, while Srirangam MLA S Valarmathi has been allotted backward classes and minorities' welfare.
Valarmathi, a former Trichy corporation councillor, won a bypoll in Srirangam in 2014, necessitated by Jayalalithaa vacating the seat after her conviction in the wealth case by a Bengaluru trial court.
Recognising their long service in the party, Jayalalithaa has handpicked some key functionaries like TN Arasu Cable TV Corporation chairman Udumalai K Radhakrishnan (housing and urban development minister); Papanasam Union secretary R Duraikannu (agriculture); Tuticorin district J Jayalalithaa Peravai secretary Kadambur Raju (information and publicity) and former MLA and Bhavani municipal chairman K C Karuppannan (environment).
Greater Chennai Corporation deputy mayor P Benjamin will get school education and sports and youth welfare.