The Tamil Nadu Government on Monday moved to the Supreme Court contesting Governor RN Ravi’s decision to deny reinstating Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader and MLA K Ponmudi as a minister in the state cabinet. Ponmundi served as the Higher Education minister in the MK Stalin-led government till his disqualification as an MLA in December 2023 in a disproportionate assets case.

Senior Advocate AM Singhvi brought the plea for an urgent hearing before Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud’s bench, which assured consideration of the matter.

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Governor RN Ravi declined Chief Minister MK Stalin’s recommendation to appoint K Ponmudi as a minister following his reinstatement as an MLA. In its plea, the Tamil Nadu government has requested the top court to issue directives mandating the appointment of Thiru K Ponmudi as a minister in the Tamil Nadu government.

The Tamil Nadu government argued that the Governor’s refusal to comply with the Chief Minister’s request to appoint Ponmudi as the Higher Education Minister is a clear violation of Article 164(1) of the Constitution and should be invalidated.

The government, led by MK Stalin, accused the Governor of attempting to establish a parallel government and of trying to select a minister based on subjective criteria, which is not permissible.

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K Ponmudi, a disqualified minister and senior DMK leader, was reinstated shortly after the Supreme Court overturned his conviction and three-year jail sentence in a disproportionate asset case on March 13. The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption had filed a case against Ponmudi and his wife, Visalakshi, in 2011.

Ponmudi previously served as the Minister for Higher Education and Mines during the DMK regime from 2006 to 2011. His membership in the state assembly was reinstated by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M Appavu.

However, despite these developments, the Governor has expressed his unwillingness to reappoint Ponmudi as a minister.