Chennai: In a major reshuffle of her Cabinet, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on November 9 night dropped three of her colleagues and inducted five more, of whom two staged a comeback.

Those dropped from the ministry are P Dhanapal (food), K Sundarsanam (backward classes) and V T Natarajan (Labour).

A Anwar Rhazza and R Vaithilingam, who were dropped some months back, staged a comeback. While Anwar gets back the labour portfolio, Vaithilingam has been designated as the new forest and environment minister.

The three other new faces are R Vadivelu, elected from Vaniyambadi in the recent by- election, Papa Sundaram, Karur district secretary of the party and P V Damodaran, who represents Pongalur constituency.

With the changes, the strength of the Cabinet will go up to 29. The portfolios of some others have also been changed.

Jayalalithaa called on the Governor, P S Ramamohan Rao, at the Raj Bhavan to recommend these changes.

PTI