CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Sunday refused to swear in K Ponmudy as a minister again and sent a letter in this regard to Chief Minister MK Stalin. The CM, on March 13, had requested the governor to swear in Ponmudy as a minister either on March 13 or on March 14 as the Supreme Court had suspended his conviction and sentence in a disproportionate wealth case.
However, the governor left for New Delhi on March 14 as per an schedule planned earlier and returned to Chennai on Saturday.
According to sources, the Raj Bhavan sent the letter of the governor to the CM on Sunday evening. In the letter, Ravi said Ponmudy, who was earlier higher education minister, could not be sworn in as the SC had only stayed the conviction and Ponmudy had not been acquitted in the disproportionate assets case.
On Saturday, Law Minister S Regupathy had expressed confidence that the governor would fix a date for the swearing-in of Ponmudy as a minister as there is no legal hurdle for that now. He had also said that the model code of conduct would not bar the swearing-in of Ponmudy.
Ponmudy and his wife had been convicted in a disproportionate assets case in December 2023.
Following the conviction, he was disqualified as a legislator and lost his position as minister. On March 11, the SC had suspended Ponmudy’s conviction and sentence, paving the way, according to the state government, for his reinstatement as MLA and minister. Accordingly, the notification for the bypoll to his Assembly constituency of Tirukoyilur was withdrawn following the apex court’s ruling.