Home minister juggles 7 portfolios with painting

Puducherry Home Minister E Valsaraj, who also holds six other portfolios, manages to find time to pursue his childhood passion — painting.

Puducherry Home Minister E. Valsaraj, who also holds six other portfolios, manages to find time to pursue his childhood passion — painting.

HT Image

“It’s all about how you manage time for different works. You should know how to prioritise your work….I have the passion and the time to paint,” he told HT.

On Wednesday, Vice-President Hamid Ansari inaugurated Valsaraj’s first solo exhibition “Images of Eternity” at the Lalit Kala Akademi in Delhi. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was also present.

Gandhi wanted the remarks book to be brought to her residence for comments. Ansari described the exhibition as “very unusual”.

The paintings will be showcased at Rashtrapati Bhavan on September 21.

A five-time legislator from Mahe in the Union territory of Puducherry and a minister in successive Congress governments for the past 12 years, Valsaraj is a rare politician who pursue his passion for painting.

“If there is passion, you can easily mix politics with art and culture. You can build up the creativity,” said the 56-year-old.

The painting in acrylic, oil and watercolour deal with various shades of nature. Changing moods and shades of nature impact his thoughts and feelings, he said.

His works include images of Auroville and Puducherry.