TN govt's finance honcho Palanivel Thiaga Rajan shifted as FM, Thennarasu is his replacement

The high profile Tamil Nadu Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan was on Thursday shifted out of the key portfolio of Finance and Human Resources Management and given the Information technology department. If he CM accepts so, then he has to apologize for appointing an incompetent person to manage the states finance. A Raj Bhavan official release said Thiaga Rajan would helm the IT and digital services department.

The high profile Tamil Nadu Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan was on Thursday shifted out of the key portfolio of Finance and Human Resources Management and given the Information technology department. The move comes days after the BJP released two audio clips, claiming the voice in it was that of Thiaga Rajan, purported to be making some remarks about the assets of DMK's first family. Rajan had described the clips as ''malicious and fabricated,'' and insisted they were digitally altered tapes.

Thangam Thennarasu, the soft-spoken DMK strongman from southern Tamil Nadu, is the new Finance Minister. Industries portfolio held by him was allocated to TRB Rajaa, the three time legislator from Mannargudi constituency who was newly inducted into the Council of Ministers. While Chief Minister M K Stalin said the reshuffle was for administrative reasons, Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami said the government and Cabinet were shaken by the leak of audio tapes. ''One wicket is gone,'' he told reporters in Salem in an apparent reference to Thiaga Rajan. The government, fearing release of more ''information'' has retained Thiaga Rajan in the Cabinet to avert it, the AIADMK general secretary claimed, answering a question. The whole exercise reflected graft and the DMK regime, in its two-year rule, did nothing other than all- round ''corruption,'' Palaniswami alleged. ''The portfolio reallocation (of five ministers) is for administrative reasons...'' Stalin said at an event here.

PTR, as Thiaga Rajan is addressed, thanked Chief Minister Stalin for allocating him the IT department. He said the last two years as Finance Minister under Stalin was fulfilling for him. Rajaa, the IT wing secretary of the DMK is the son of party treasurer and former Union Minister T R Baalu. He was sworn-in as Minister by Governor R N Ravi at an official ceremony in the Raj Bhavan on Thursday morning. A former international investment banker, Thiaga Rajan's start as a Minister in 2021 was dramatic as he began attracting attention right from his early days in the government for his sharp attacks targeting the Centre over GST and devolution to well-performing States and the ground continued to be strong for him. The first murmur against him started coming from government employees who construed several of his comments as not favouring them and in particular a return to the Old Pension Scheme, promised by the DMK in its manifesto for 2021 Assembly election. In March, the TN Governemnt Employees Association hit out at Thiaga Rajan and wondered whether his 'social justice' would be for people's welfare and indicated the Minister might only toe a 'corporate' based economic model. When the BJP released two audio tapes which purportedly contained serious allegations levelled by Thiaga Rajan against some heavyweights connected to the Cabinet and the party, the tide began turning against him more. A section of party men also found him to be not having his ear to the ground when it came to sentiments of party workers and the overall DMK line on some issues. Rajan had earlier served as the DMK's IT Wing secretary as well, before resigning from the post early last year. TRB Rajaa succeeded PTR. Ackowledging his predecessor T Mano Thangaraj's efforts in the IT department, PTR said he plans to build on the ''great efforts'' of his cabinet colleague. ''I wish the incoming Finance Minister @TThenarasu great success and many more achievements as he assumes responsibility today. I am sure he will accelerate the progress already made and deliver new records in his tenure,'' PTR tweeted. BJP Tamil Nadu vice president Narayanan Thirupathy on his twitter handle said: ''If Chief Minister @mkstalin does not accept that @ptrmadurai was incompetent in handling the finance portfolio, then it is obvious that he was shifted for the audio leaks. If he (CM) accepts so, then he has to apologize for appointing an incompetent person to manage the state's finance.'' A Raj Bhavan official release said Thiaga Rajan would helm the IT and digital services department. The IT department portfolio was previously handled by Mano Thangaraj and he has now been assigned the Milk and Dairy Development department. SM Nasar, who held the Milk portfolio was dropped from the Cabinet on May 9.

MP Saminathan, Information Minister has got the Tamil development and culture portfolio as well. Chief Minister Stalin going in for the Cabinet reshuffle has been on the cards for a while now.