As the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's government completes two years in office there is speculation about an imminent cabinet reshuffle in the state. Speculation is rife that the Chief Minister is contemplating dropping a few ministers from the state cabinet based on their performances, changing portfolios of certain ministers and bringing in new faces to reinvigorate his Cabinet.
Sources say that Minister for Tourism K Ramachandran, Adi Dravidar Welfare Minister N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj, Minister for Milk and Dairy Development SM Nasar are likely to be dropped from the cabinet. Sources also add that the Chief Minister is reportedly dissatisfied with their performance and wants to reshuffle the portfolios of some of the ministers keeping in mind the output.
In the wake of the alleged audio clips attributed to Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, it is still not clear whether there will be a change in his portfolio. A DMK leader who spoke to TNM on condition of anonymity said that the issue has caused major embarrassment to the party but it is unlikely that the Chief Minister will take action against him as it will become the point of focus when MK Stalin wants to do a course correction.
The reshuffle is also expected to witness the induction of new faces into the cabinet, names that are doing the rounds include that of DMK IT wing chief and Mannargudi MLA TRB Rajaa, Manamadurai MLA Tamilarasi Ravikumar, Sankarankovil MLA E Raja are likely to be inducted into the cabinet. DMK insiders say this move is to ensure that adequate representation is given to Delta and Tirunelveli region. The reshuffle is likely to take place after the Chief Minister holds a cabinet meeting on May 2, 2023.
Along with the changes in the cabinet, the DMK government is also planning for a bureaucratic reshuffle with top bureaucrats holding key positions expected to retire in the next few months. Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu and Head of Police Force (HoPF) Sylendra Babu are due for retirement and the race of next Chief Secretary and DGP of Tamil Nadu police has already begun.