Jayanthi Natarajan (File photo)
Jayanthi Natarajan resigned today as Minister of State for Environment and Forests in what is being called as Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's larger plan to revamp the Congress ahead of national elections, due by May next year.
President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted Ms Natarajan's resignation.
Sources said Jayanthi Natarajan has been asked to return to party work. She is expected to be drafted in her party for work relating to manifesto and other election matters, PTI said.
The 59-year-old leader, a senior member of Rajya Sabha for the third term, hails from Tamil Nadu and was brought in the environment ministry two years ago.
Sources said more ministers are expected to resign soon as Congress prepares itself for the national elections after some serious drubbing in the recent assembly elections.
A statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan said that Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily has been given additional charge of the environment ministry.