Battle begins

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Friday approved the re-allocation of the portfolios held by arrested state Minister V Senthil Balaji after the recommendation was sent by Chief Minister MK Stalin. However, the governor has not agreed to Tamil Nadu government’s decision of the minister continuing as a cabinet minister with no portfolios. A Raj Bhavan statement released stated that Governor RN Ravi opposed V Senthil Balaji continuing in the Stalin-led cabinet as he was facing criminal proceedings.State Higher Education minister K Ponmudi, who spoke for the DMK government, flayed the Governor for the stance, stating that the Governor “is acting like the agent of the BJP government at the Centre”. Merely because a minister faces a case, he can’t be removed. Was Home Minister Amit Shah who faced a case when he was a state minister, sacked? Ponmudi asked and added in the past many AIADMK ministers who faced cases were not sacked.On Stalin’s recommendations, the Electricity, Non-Conventional Energy Development portfolio held by Balaji has been allocated to Finance Minister Thangam Thennarsu, the release said. Further, the subjects Prohibition and Excise, Molasses held by Balaji has been allocated to Housing and Urban Development Minister S Muthusamy.