TRB Rajaa inducted into TN Cabinet; Diary Minister Nasar shown the door

CHENNAI: The surprise surrounding the much-speculated Cabinet reshuffle came to a pause on Tuesday after Governor RN Ravi approved the recommendation of Chief Minister MK Stalin to induct T R B Rajaa in the council of ministers and drop incumbent Dairy Minister SM Nasar.

A notification released by the state Raj Bhavan through the information department confirmed the minor reshuffle and said, “The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has recommended to the Governor of Tamil Nadu to induct TRB Rajaa, Mannargudi MLA, in the council of ministers. The Governor has approved the recommendation.”

The Governor has also approved the recommendation of the Chief Minister to drop SM Nasar, minister for Milk and Dairy Development from the council of ministers.

The notification has left tongues wagging in the ruling party over the fate of incumbent Adi Dravidar welfare Minister Kayalvizhi Selvaraj who was said to be one of the casualties of the Cabinet reshuffle. Significantly, the notification has so far belied speculation about a likely change of portfolio for incumbent Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, who was understood to be in the firing line following the release of now famous PTR audio tapes.

The notification notwithstanding, Fort St George was overwhelmed with rumours that a few more changes in the cabinet composition could be notified before Thursday morning’s swearing ceremony.

This would be the first significant reshuffle in the incumbent DMK reign as Stalin has not dropped any minister from his cabinet so far in his maiden tenure. On a couple of instances earlier, Stalin had swapped the portfolios of incumbent backward classes welfare minister S Raja Kannappan after he was accused of making casteist remarks against a serving government official. Similarly, portfolios of incumbent state forest minister M Mathiventhan and tourism minister K Ramachandran were swapped earlier.