Another reshuffle,Jaya drops senior minister

In yet another reshuffle,the eighth since coming to power last year,Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa dropped a senior member from the state Cabinet and inducted a new face,besides juggling the portfolios of four other ministers on Wednesday.

C Ve Shanmugam,Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration,was ousted from the Council of Ministers on Wednesday and the chief whip of the party P Mohan was allocated the Rural Industries portfolio. Mohan will be sworn in on October 6,said a communication from the government. Shanmugams job was given to B V Ramanaa.

Shanmugam,a strongman of the AIADMK,who led the partys fight for dominance against the PMK in Villupuram district,was also removed as district secretary of Villupuram North.

Jaya also appointed T G Venkatesh Babu as the new secretary for north Chennai unit on Wednesday.