TN Cabinet reshuffle: Senthil Balaji to get Electricity portfolio, Higher Education for Govi Chezhiyan

Chennai, Sep 29 (IANS) With the Tamil Nadu Cabinet reshuffle scheduled for 3.30 p.m. on Sunday at Raj Bhavan, DMK leader and former Minister Senthil Balaji, who was incarcerated in Puzhal Central prison, will be the centre of attraction.

The Chief Minister has allocated the Electricity portfolio to Balaji which he was holding along with Excise and Prohibition while he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 14, 2023. Senthil Balaji has, according to sources in DMK, conveyed to the Chief Minister his lack of interest in the Excise portfolio and said that he will hold the Electricity portfolio only.

Interestingly, Stalin has allocated the crucial Higher Education minister portfolio to Govi Chezhian, a Dalit leader and the chief whip of DMK at present.

He is replacing the high-profile minister K. Ponmudi who has been relegated to the relatively less important Forest portfolio.

The elevation of Udhayanidhi Stalin as the Deputy Chief Minister with added portfolios of Planing and Development is one of the major political developments in the Dravidian major. DMK will be entering into a third-generation leadership change with this.

Udhayanidhi is the son of Chief Minister M. K. Stalin and grandson of iconic Dravidian leader and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, ‘Kalaignar’ Karunanidhi.

DMK is also inducting Salem North MLA of the party R. Rajendran who is the lone MLA for DMK in Salem district among a total of 11 legislators in the district with the rest of the seats won by AIADMK and PMK. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin had earlier publicly stated the importance of Rajendran in Salem for the party and hence, had indicated his possible elevation as a minister. Rajendran will be allocated the Tourism portfolio that was held by K. Ramachandran, who is dropped from the Cabinet.

The powerful Muslim leader of DMK, S. M. Nasar will replace another Muslim leader, Gingee K. Masthan who has been shown the door. Nasar will be allotted the minority portfolio that was held by Masthan.

R. Prabhudas, political commentator and former Professor of Political Science in a Chennai-based college, while speaking to IANS said: “Stalin has made a major shuffle of his Cabinet and three factors are important in this: The elevation of Udhayanidhi Stalin as the Deputy Chief Minister, Senthil Balaji back in the Cabinet after 471 days of incarceration, and inclusion of Govi Chezhian as the Higher Education minister replacing political heavy weight K. Ponmudi.”

He emphasised that the promotion of Udhayanidhi is very important as it is an indicator of the generational shift in DMK.