TN Govt’s finance honcho loses portfolio

Chennai, May 11

High-profile Tamil Nadu Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan was on Thursday relieved of the portfolio of Finance and Human Resources Management and given Information Technology Department.

Thiaga Rajan, a former international investment banker, was made minister in 2021. He began attracting attention right from his early days in the government for his sharp attacks on the Centre over GST and devolution to well-performing states and continued to be on a strong footing.

Murmurs against him began after employees construed several of his comments as “unfavourable”. In March, the TN Governemnt Employees Association hit out at Thiaga Rajan and asked whether his ‘social justice’ would be for people’s welfare, indicating the minister might follow a “corporate-based” economic model.

When the BJP released two audio tapes purportedly containing allegations by Thiaga Rajan against some heavyweights connected to the Cabinet and the party, the tide began turning against him. A section felt he did not have his ear to the ground when it came to the sentiments of the cadre.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *