Facing legal tussle, TN ministers Senthil and Ponmudy step down

Tamil Nadu ministers Senthil Balaji and K Ponmudy on Sunday stepped down from the chief minister MK Stalin-led state cabinet, with the move necessitating a cabinet reshuffle.

- Divya Chandrababu

CHENNAI:

Governor RN Ravi approved chief minister Stalin's recommendation on their resignation, a communique from the Raj Bhavan said.

The resignations came days after Senthil Balaji, facing ED probe in a cash-for-jobs scam in an earlier AIADMK regime, was asked by the Supreme Court on Wednesday to make a choice "between post and freedom" as it had warned him of cancelling bail if he did not step down as minister.

"...Grant of bail does not mean power to influence witnesses. In the past, you have influenced witnesses," the bench had said.