Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is working out a major plan to reshuffle his cabinet after one of his ministers Senthil Balaji has been sent to judicial custody in a money laundering case, that has been probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Though DMK fights BJP's clampdown on its leader, the party has sent a recommendation to Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi with the view of awarding the portfolios held by Senthil Balaji to some other ministers. 

47-year-old Senthil Balaji had been serving as the Minister of Electricity, Prohibition & Excise in MK Stalin's cabinet. He was one of the powerful ministers and trusted aides of MK Stalin and on June 13, the ED sleuths have stormed the residences and places connected to Senthil Balaji in Chennai and in his hometown Karur. The ED officials had also raided Senthil Balaji's chamber in the Chief Secretariat in connection to the money laundering in the job racket case.

Senthil Balaji has been accused of swindling money from the job aspirants with a promise of providing jobs as drivers, conductors, and mechanic workers in the state transport corporation when he was serving as the Transport Minister in the ADMK reign led by Jayalalaithaa from 2011 to 2015. The case was ten year old and had taken various turns till it came under the probe of ED, which is India's premier agency that investigates money laundering scams. 

On June 13, the ED officials raided the places connected to Senthil Balaji and the searches lasted for 18 hours. The ED then placed the minister under arrest for further interrogation. However, Senthil Balaji has complained of chest pain, moments after he was taken under custody, and he was rushed to the Omandurar Government Multispecialty hospital in Chennai, during the wee hours of Wednesday - June 14. 

Senthil Balaji underwent angiogram procedure which revealed that he had triple vessel disease and the hospital has advised a bypass surgery for him. In the midst of protest against the ED by the DMK leaders who alleged that the central agency has harassed him during his custody, efforts were taken legally to acquire bail for the minister. However, during the evening hours of Wednesday, Justice Alli, judge of the sessions court in Chennai visited him in the hospital and sent him to judicial custody till June 28.

On the other hand, the DMK has approached the Madras High Court to seek baill for Senthil Balaji as the party has planned to take him to Kauvery Hospital to perform bypass surgery. However, the court is yet to pronounce the verdict and the bail was strongly opposed by the ED. Moreover, as Senthil Balaji was remanded in judicial custody, the authorities from Central Prison, Puzhal had arrived at the hospital. 

As Senthil Balaji has been awarded a judicial custody, several opposition parties have demanded the ruling government to remove him from the cabinet. It has now become official that Chief Minister MK Stalin has recommended a change for his portfolio to the Governor. According to our sources, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu will be conferred an additional responsibility to take care of the Electricity Department while Tamil Nadu Minister for Housing and Urban Development, S Muthusamy will be awarded Senthil Balaji's another portfolio of Prohibition & Excise. It has also been reported that Senthil Balaji will remain in the cabinet as the Minister without portfolio.