Chennai, Feb 13 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Governor, RN Ravi, on Tuesday accepted the resignation of state minister without portfolio, V Senthil Balaji.

Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan in a Press statement on Tuesday said that Chief Minister MK Stalin had, on Monday written to the Governor recommending the acceptance of the resignation of Senthil Balaji from the Tamil Nadu Council of Ministers.

The statement said that the Governor approved the recommendation and accepted the resignation of V Senthil Balaji.

The Madras High Court, had during the hearing of a bail petition of Senthil Balaji, questioned the propriety behind the minister continuing in the government without portfolio for more than six months.

Senthil Balaji was jailed in Puzhal Central Prison on June 17, 2023 after the ED arrested him in an alleged money laundering case.

Balaji was alleged to have taken bribes for recruitment in a jobs-for-cash controversy while he was Transport Minister in the previous Jayalalithaa Government of Tamil Nadu.

Senthil Balaji was holding the portfolios of Electricity, Excise and Prohibition in the Stalin Cabinet and the Chief Minister had retained him as Minister without portfolio and had allocated the subjects to two other senior colleagues.