Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi Accepts Senthil Balaji's Resignation As Minister

After his arrest, Senthil Balaji continued as a minister without portfolio for several months.

Senthil Balaji's bail plea is scheduled to be heard by the Madras High Court in a day, following rejections by lower courts prior to this.

Source : X/@V_Senthilbalaji

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi accepted the resignation of Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, said Tamil Nadu Secretary to Governor in a press release on Tuesday. Senthil Balaji tendered his resignation eight months after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with a cash-for-job case.

In a press release, Tamil Nadu Secretary to Governor said, "Based on the letter of Chief Minister, dated 12.2.2024, recommending acceptance of the resignation of V.Senthilbalaji, Minister, from the Tamil Nadu Council of Ministers, Governor has approved the recommendation and accepted the resignation of V.Senthilbalaji, Minister, from the Tamil Nadu Council of Ministers."

Balaji, who served as the electricity minister during the DMK regime, was arrested by the agency on June 14 last year in connection with an alleged cash-for-jobs scam. After his arrest, Balaji continued as a minister without portfolio for several months. However, despite Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin's earlier decision to retain him in the cabinet, Balaji has now resigned amidst the legal challenges faced by him.

Senthil Balaji's bail plea is scheduled to be heard by the Madras High Court in a day, following rejections by lower courts before this. Senthil Balaji's multiple bail petitions have also been dismissed so far by the courts.

Following his arrest last year, Balaji's portfolios, which included Electricity, Non-Conventional Energy Development, Prohibition, and Excise, Molasses, were reassigned to other members of the Cabinet led by Tamil Nadu CM and DMK president MK Stalin. During that time, Governor Ravi had raised concerns about Balaji continuing as a minister without a portfolio citing ongoing criminal proceedings against him. Balaji is the elected representative for the Karur segment in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.