CHENNAI: Amidst talks of an imminent cabinet reshuffle by inducting V Senthilbalaji, Minister for Prohibition and Excise S Muthusamy in Coimbatore said it is the party’s leadership to decide on giving him the ministerial berth again.

Welcoming his release and hailing the Supreme Court’s decision, the minister said the next course of action would be decided by Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin. Muthusamy now holds the portfolio of Prohibition and Excise, which was held by Senthilbalaji before his arrest.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President K Selvaperunthagai in Tirupur said the BJP government dreamt of capturing the Kongu region with the arrest of Senthilbalaji, who converted this region into a fortress of DMK and INDIA alliance. “Despite his arrest, the DMK cadre and leaders worked hard to win the Lok Sabha polls,” he said.

He also claimed that the BJP had withdrawn 21 cases out of 23 made out against opposition party leaders after they joined their party. “When the INDIA alliance forms the government next, officials who aided in BJP’s corruption will be punished,” he said.

Joining the issue, BJP Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan said to the media in Coimbatore that the state government shouldn’t misuse its power to dilute the case by threatening complainants in the case. “Chief Minister MK Stalin should prove by his action that no compromise will be made with incidents of corruption and people involved in it,” she said