Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has refused to accept Chief Minister MK Stalin’s recommendation to appoint K Ponmudy as a minister, after the latter was reinstated as an MLA following the Supreme Court’s order. Disqualified state minister and DMK senior leader K Ponmudy had been reinstated days after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction and three-year jail sentence in a disproportionate asset case on March 13, 2024. This comes as the latest episode in the state-Governor tussle in Tamil Nadu.
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption had registered a case against Ponmudy and his wife, Visalakshi in 2011.
Ponmudy was the minister for higher education and mines during the DMK rule from 2006 to 2011.
Speaker reinstates membership
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Speaker M Appavu reinstated Ponmudy as a member of the House.
CM Stalin wrote to the state Governor recommending the appointment of Ponmudy as a minister and his oath taking.
Governor RN Ravi replied to the state government on Sunday, that he cannot administer the oath of office to Ponmudy (DMK senior leader and former Higher Education Minister) as his conviction has not been struck down by the Supreme Court, citing the pendency of the case.
Ravi expressed his inability to appoint Ponmudy as a minister again.
EPS on Ponmudi’s disqualification
Earlier on March 1, Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition, Edappadi Palaniswami had written to Speaker Appavu in connection with the disqualification of K Ponmudi as a member of the state assembly and the consequent announcement of a vacancy in the assembly seat.
"Your office is aware of the fact that K. Ponmudi, who was elected from (76) Tirukkoyilur Assembly Constituency and who was also a minister in the present government, had been convicted of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for having assets disproportionate to the known source of income by the Madras High Court vide its order dated December 21, 2023. The Supreme Court has not stayed the order of conviction passed by the High Court," EPS said in his letter.
(With ANI inputs)
