K.Ponmudy, Minister for Forests
| Photo Credit:
VEDHAN M
The Governor of Tamil Nadu on Sunday accepted the resignation of Tamil Nadu Ministers V Senthil Balaji and K Ponmudy and also approved allocations of their portfolio to new ministers.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has recommended to the Governor to accept the resignation of the ministers and the Governor has approved the same, a statement from Raj Bhavan said.
The current Transport Minister S S Sivasankar has been additionally entrusted the Electricity Ministry portfolio held by Senthil Balaji. Further, the additional charge of Prohibition and Excise portfolio is now handed to Housing and Urban Development Minister S Muthusamy.
RS Rajakannappan, previously Minister for Milk and Dairy Development, has been redesignated as the Minister for Forests and Khadi. Further, the CM has also recommended the induction of T Mano Thangaraj, MLA from Padmanabhapuram Assembly Constituency, into the cabinet.
The swearing-in ceremony for the new minister designate is set to take place at Raj Bhavan in Chennai, on Monday evening.
The resignations of the two ministers have been on the anvil for some time now as the pressure was mounting on the two.
The Supreme Court, last week, sent a tough message to DMK leader V Senthil Balaji. The Court gave him an ultimatum till April 28 and directed him to choose between the ministerial post and his bail in the cash-for-jobs scam, which he is accused of by the Enforcement Directorate.
Minister Ponmudy’s resignation follows the Madras High Court’s adverse orders against him for derogatory speech. His comments led to his removal as DMK Deputy General Secretary and also raised demands for his ouster from the cabinet.
Published on April 27, 2025