Jaya drops Shanmuganathan from council of ministers

Chennai, Aug 30: In her first cabinet reshuffle since assuming office for a successive term after the May 16 Assembly polls, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today dropped Milk and Dairy Development Minister S P Shanmuganathan from her council of ministers.

Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah dropped Shanmuganthan from the cabinet "on the recommendation of the Chief Minister," a Raj Bhavan press release said. Shanmuganathan had recently been relieved as AIADMK's Thoothukudi District Secretary, a key party post.

Jayalalithaa also made portfolio reallocations, handing over the School Education department to Avadi MLA K Pandiarajan, one of the seven dissident DMDK MLAs in the previous Assembly, who joined the AIADMK this year. Rural Industries Minister K T Rajenthra Balaji has been entrusted with Milk and Dairy Development portfolio.

School Education Minister P Benjamin is the new Rural Industries Minister. The swearing-in ceremony of the new Ministers will be held at Raj Bhavan tomorrow evening, the release said.

PTI