In a significant political development, Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, was appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister. The swearing-in ceremony took place on Sunday at Raj Bhavan in Chennai, where four other legislators from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party also took their oaths as cabinet ministers.
Among those sworn in was DMK leader V Senthil Balaji, who recently received bail from the Supreme Court in a money laundering case. The other new ministers include R Rajendran (Salem-North), Govi Chezhiaan (Thiruvidaimarudur), and S M Nasar (Avadi). The event was attended by Chief Minister MK Stalin and Deputy CM Udhayanidhi.
An official statement from Tamil Nadu’s Raj Bhavan confirmed that the governor approved the appointments based on the Chief Minister’s recommendations. Udhayanidhi, who previously served as the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, will now also oversee the planning and development portfolio as part of a broader cabinet reshuffle.
Addressing criticisms aimed at him, Udhayanidhi expressed his commitment to public service, stating, “I will try my best to take in all the criticism and work diligently for the people. I accept all your criticisms and will respond to them through my work.”
After visiting a memorial, the newly appointed Deputy Chief Minister acknowledged the weight of the responsibility placed upon him and expressed his determination to fulfill it effectively.
