CHENNAI: Senior DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Finance Minister P Thiaga Rajan has indicated that he will temporarily step away from active politics, saying he plans to take a “short break” after serving as an MLA for the past 10 years.
In a detailed statement reflecting on the 2026 Assembly election results and the changing political landscape in Tamil Nadu, PTR said he was looking forward to spending a few weeks away from public life as a private citizen.
The former minister said the break would allow him to accept invitations to deliver lectures and participate in events across India and abroad, opportunities he could not pursue during his tenure in government.
He also said he would use the period to work on a book under contract with HarperCollins.
PTR further said he wanted to focus on improving his health and maintaining a more regular lifestyle after recently turning 60.
However, he clarified that the move should not be seen as a permanent withdrawal from public life or politics.
“I am adapting to the reality that I am not going to be an elected representative for a while — at least until the next election. But my passion for public service, and to be an agent of change, remains undiminished. I shall return — recharged and refreshed,” he said.
PTR, one of the prominent faces of the DMK, had served as Finance Minister in the previous government and was known for his outspoken views on fiscal management and governance.
P Thiaga Rajan was first elected as MLA from the Madurai Central constituency in the 2016 Tamil Nadu Assembly election and was re-elected from the same constituency in 2021.
Following the DMK’s victory in 2021, he was appointed Minister for Finance and Human Resources Management in the government headed by M K Stalin. During his tenure as Finance Minister, PTR released a White Paper on Tamil Nadu’s financial position detailing the State’s fiscal condition and debt situation.
In a Cabinet reshuffle carried out in May 2023, he was shifted from the Finance portfolio and appointed Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services.
He was defeated in the Madurai Central constituency by TVK candidate Madhar Badhurudeen in the May 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections. Badhurudeen secured a decisive victory with 63,414 votes, unseating the two-time MLA by a margin of over 19,000 votes.