After Supreme Court relief, Senthil Balaji all set to become Minister ...

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26 Sep 2024, 9:29 am

CHENNAI: Granted bail by the Supreme Court in a money laundering case, V Senthil Balaji is likely to be sworn in as minister again. He would possibly get back the portfolios of electricity, non-conventional energy development, prohibition and excise and molasses.

In February this year, Senthil Balaji was forced to resign after he was arrested in money laundering case. Subsequently, electricity and non-conventional energy development were allocated to Thangam Thennarasu while prohibition and excise, and molasses were allocated to Muthusamy.

Chief Minister MK Stalin has been hinting that there will be ‘changes’ in the State Cabinet soon and there have been speculations that the CM was waiting for the release of Balaji to carry out the Cabinet reshuffle.

Two days ago, the CM, while responding to a query on elevating Udhayanidhi Stalin to the post of Deputy Chief Minister, said “There will be no disappointment. But there will be changes.”

The announcement about the Cabinet reshuffle is expected after the CM returns from New Delhi where he is slated to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

Expressing happiness on the release of Balaji after 471 days, Stalin, in his post on the social media platform X, said, "In the present scenario where the Enforcement Department has been converted into a department for oppressing political opponents, the Supreme Court remains the only reprieve.”

“Even during the Emergency, no one was sentenced to so many days in jail."

He added, "The political conspiracies continued for 15 months and they wanted to break the resolve of brother Senthil Balaji by keeping him in jail for a long time. I welcome my brother Balaji who is coming out of jail as a stronger person. Your sacrifice is big! Your resolve is much bigger," he added.

Balaji will be the second minister to be sworn in after facing legal issues, the first minister being K Ponmudy.

K Ponmudy and disproportionate wealth case

On December 21, 2023, Following the Madras High Court verdict that sentenced Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy to three years of imprisonment in a disproportionate wealth case, the portfolios held by him - Higher Education and a few other subjects - have been allocated to RS Rajakannappan, Minister for Backward Classes Welfare, as additional charges.

The CM, on March 13, requested the governor to swear in Ponmudy as a minister either on March 13 or on March 14 since the Supreme Court has suspended his conviction and sentence in a disproportionate wealth case. On March 22, following the intervention and censure of the Supreme Court, the governor reinducted K Ponmudy as the Higher Education Minister. The SC on March 21, gave 24 hours to the governor to decide on the issue.

Senthil Balaji's arrest

Senthil Balaji’s arrest and rejection of numerous bail pleas during the 15 months and the developments that took place ahead of his arrest were significant.

On May 31, 2023, the governor wrote a letter to the chief minister advising him to drop Balaji from the cabinet citing the SC's directive to continue the investigation into the charges against him. The chief minister, however, did not agree.

Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case in the early hours of June 14, 2023, following an 18-hour questioning at his residence in Chennai and was remanded in judicial custody. A day before his arrest, on June 13, 2023, the ED sleuths searched Senthil Balaji's official chamber in the State Secretariat, his bungalow in Chennai and other places linked to him in Karur and Coimbatore regarding the money laundering case.

The Tamil Nadu Goverenor...

The CM recommended that the portfolios of Balaji should be reallocated to Thangam Thennarasu and S Muthusamy and that Balaji would continue as a minister without a portfolio until he recovers from his illness. On June 15, the Governor returned a file relating to the reallocation of portfolios of minister V Senthil Balaji, saying an ‘incorrect’ and 'misleading' reason has been cited by the government for portfolio reallocation. Hours after this, Stalin, in his response, told the governor that he had no power to ask for what reason the portfolios were changed. Further, facing an interrogation would not affect the minister's continuing in his position.

On June 16, 2023, the governor approved the reallocation of portfolios held by Balaji but said he has not agreed to Balaji continuing as a minister since he is facing interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate. However, within a few hours, the state government passed a G.O. reallocating the portfolios of Balaji and that Balaji would continue as a minister without a portfolio.

On June 29, in an unusual and rare move, Governor RN Ravi dismissed V Senthil Balaji from the council of ministers, without any recommendation from chief minister MK Stalin for this. The governor has cited the ongoing criminal proceedings and other cases against Balaji as the reasons for the dismissal. Balaji has been continuing as a minister without a portfolio.

Reacting to the development, the chief minister had said: “The governor has no power to dismiss a minister. We will face this legally.” Following heavy backlash from political parties, the Governor on the same day, communicated to the State government that his decision to dismiss Senthil Balaji had been put on hold. At that time, it was speculated that the governor backtracked following advice from the Union home ministry.

On September 5, 2023, the Madras High Court observed that "A minister without a portfolio is a constitutional travesty and it does not augur well with the principles of constitutional ethos on goodness, good governance and purity in administration." Later, on February 12, 2024, Balaji resigned as minister and the governor accepted the resignation.