In a first, CM drops Manikandan from Cabinet 

In an official statement from Governor Banwarilal Purohit, it was stated, “Governor has accepted the recommendations of the Chief Minister to drop Manikandan from the Council of Ministers. Based on the recommendation of Chief Minister, the portfolio has been re-allocated to Udhayakumar who shall be re-designated as Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management and Information Technology.”

The action from Chief Minister follows the controversial speech made by Manikandan in Paramakudi, earlier in the day in which he criticised Animal Husbandry Minister Udumalai Radhakrishnan, who was recently posted as chairman of TACTV. In a press meet, when Manikandan was asked about the comments of Udumalai Radhakrishnan who asked subscribers of private dish connection to return back to TACTV, Manikandan replied that Radhakrishnan runs a private dish connection firm named ‘Akshaya’ with two lakh subscribers and before asking public to shift to TACTV he should surrender the two lakh connections to TACTV.

When reporters asked about the lowering of TACTV monthly tariff, Manikandan replied that the decision was taken by the Chief Minister without his contest.

Both the statements of Manikandan created controversies in the AIADMK and after it was taken to the knowledge of the Chief Minister, he removed Manikandan. Manikandan, who was elected from Ramanathapuram constituency, was already in dispute with former Ramanathapuram MP Anwar Raja and with Thiruvadanai MLA Karunas.