Chennai: Ten years ago, M. Sai Kumar found himself at the centre of a massive storm.
When Cyclone Vardah struck on 12 December 2016, plunging Chennai into darkness, Sai Kumar, then chairman and managing director of Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO), personally led the restoration operations on the ground.
He stayed overnight in his office, coordinating with multiple teams on walkie-talkies since mobile networks failed—and succeeded in restoring power to the city.
Today, the 1990 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer is in the eye of another storm; only this time it’s political in nature.
On Wednesday, he was drawn into controversy after the Election Commission of India (ECI) named him chief secretary in place of N. Muruganandam, widely seen as one of CM M.K. Stalin’s closest aides, just two weeks before the state goes to the polls on 23 April.
It wasn’t the only appointment that made headlines.
The DGP for vigilance and anti-corruption, S. Davidson Devasirvatham, was also transferred and replaced by Sandeep Mittal, a 1995-batch Tamil Nadu Cadre IPS officer who earlier headed the state’s Cyber Crime Wing.
Both Sai Kumar and Mittal’s appointments drew attention as they came just two weeks before the election after the Opposition in Tamil Nadu accused the DMK of using police officers and administrative officials for its political gain.
Opposition parties, including the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and AIADMK, had alleged that the administration and police force were working for the ruling DMK.
TVK leader Vijay urged the ECI to transfer several top officials, including the chief secretary, to ensure free and fair elections. The AIADMK accused the DMK of misusing official machinery for campaigning advantages.
Stalin said the ECI’s move was politically motivated. He alleged the ECI was acting at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and questioned Sai Kumar’s appointment due to his past association with the AIADMK.
Sai Kumar, who assumed office as chief secretary Thursday, had earlier served as principal secretary to former CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) of the AIADMK from 5 March 2018 to 15 June 2022. During this period and in other roles under the AIADMK government, he was associated with several key assignments. The DMK is questioning the choice of Sai Kumar as chief secretary due to his earlier association with EPS.
Tamil Nadu Congress leader Selvaperunthagai also described the move as politically driven.
Opposition leaders welcomed the intervention, saying it would help restore neutrality in departments handling law and order and vigilance during the election period.
Political observers noted that such bureaucratic changes are common ahead of polls and usually do not affect the outcome, though they add to pre-poll discussions.
“It is a routine exercise by the ECI to issue such orders to ensure fair democratic elections,” said political analyst Ravindran Thuraisamy.
He added that with major political parties now resorting to online campaigns and social media promotions, Mittal’s appointment could be significant because his expertise in cybersecurity and cybercrime would allow him to monitor compliance with the Model Code of Conduct.
TANGEDCO, TASMAC
Observers ThePrint spoke to Sai Kumar had the credentials for the job. “He is not new to significant and challenging roles. He is a man of few words and lets his actions do the talking. His appointment might be viewed politically, but he is accustomed to handling it all,” said Sanjay Pinto, columnist and advocate at the Madras High Court.
“He was very media-shy when I approached him to write about him for a magazine in 2017 after the cyclone. But he was later very candid about the restoration and how he missed his son’s graduation in the US because of the cyclone,” he added.
Sai, who has a degree in public affairs from the University of Madras, is generally seen as a low-profile officer focused on delivery.
When he took over as TANGEDCO chief in 2014, the state electricity board was grappling with heavy losses.
His cost-cutting measures helped reduce the losses by roughly Rs 7,000 crore from Rs 12,000 crore in 2016-17 to Rs 5,000 crore. Sai Kumar focused on cutting power purchase costs from expensive sources, bringing the average cost down from about Rs 8-9 per unit to around Rs 4 per unit.
“The turnaround on the losses was massive. He is certainly credited with the contribution towards bringing down the losses, along with the cooperation of other stakeholders. It could not have been done otherwise,” said an IAS officer associated with the department after Sai Kumar’s tenure.
Sai has held several senior positions in his 30-year career.
They include the commissioner of revenue administration and disaster management, additional chief secretary in various departments, chairman and managing director of Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL), and chairman of the Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Corporation.
As principal secretary in the Public Works Department in 2014, he is known for being involved in raising the height of the Mullaperiyar Dam from 136 ft to 142 ft. It was a significant step to meet the increased irrigation needs, drinking water supply, and power generation needs of five drought-prone districts in Tamil Nadu.
Earlier, as commissioner of Madurai Corporation, he oversaw infrastructure projects such as bridges and the Inner Ring Road in the district. These were supported by World Bank loans and helped improve the corporation’s CRISIL ratings.
As the district collector of Dharmapuri, he led a campaign against female infanticide in coordination with NGOs. “It was a programme to inform the collector of incidents of infanticide through a postcard system. Many lives were saved this way,” said a former director of public health and preventive medicine, on condition of anonymity.
Sai Kumar also served as managing director of the state liquor corporation, Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), where he introduced streamlined checks and balances in operations.
Sandeep Mittal
Sai Kumar’s appointment as chief secretary wasn’t the only one to spark controversy.
Mittal’s appointment as DGP of the Armed Police and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) before the elections is also being viewed from a political lens because of his expected role in enforcing the smooth conduct of the elections.
Observers said Mittal also has an impressive resume. He had earlier headed the state’s Cyber Crime Wing and also been in charge of security at Tihar prison complex in Delhi.
As zonal director in the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in 2005, he contributed to dismantling several national and international drug syndicates.
His cybersecurity background is considered relevant for monitoring MCC violations on social media and handling election-related digital complaints during the final phase of campaigning.
Mittal has also participated in several national-level programmes on online crimes against women and children, alongside stakeholders from the government and NGOs. He has been working on strengthening the reporting and enforcement mechanisms across social media platforms.
With over 5.67 crore voters set to vote on 23 April, the new chief secretary and DGP are expected to oversee day-to-day administration and poll-related arrangements during the remaining campaign days.
The focus will remain on strictly enforcing the Model Code of Conduct and ensuring the smooth conduct of the elections.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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