Chennai: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday removed S.P. Shanmuganathan from the Cabinet while bringing in noted HR expert Ma Foi Pandiarajan in a minor reshuffle in allocation of portfolios in the first such exercise after she assumed office on May 23.
Shanmuganathan, who held the Milk and Dairy Development portfolio, was removed from the Cabinet and the department held by him was allotted to K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji, whose Rural Industries portfolio was given to School Education Minister P.Benjamin.
The newcomer, Mr Pandiarajan, MLA from Avadi, who had fiercely supported the party's stand on TV debates even when he was an unattached MLA after having broken ranks with the DMDK, will be the new School Education, Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister.
“The Governor has also accepted the recommendation of the Chief Minister to appoint K. Pandiarajan, MLA as Minister for Social Education & Sports and Youth Welfare and to allocate the portfolios of School Education, Archaeology, Youth Welfare and Sports Development,” a release from the Raj Bhavan said. Mr Pandiarajan, known as ‘MaFoi’ among his friends and followers, did his MBA from the renowned XLRI, Jamshedpur and began his career in Kolkata. After he moved to Chennai and settled in Anna Nagar, he started MA FOI, India's largest HR Services Firm with just Rs 60,000 in 1992.
The firm created employment opportunities for more than 3,50,000 professionals. ‘MaFoi began his political career with BJP and later joined the DMDK and was elected as an MLA from Virudhunagar in 2011. In 2016, he formally joined the AIADMK and successfully contested from Avadi constituency on the outskirts of Chennai.
