Tamil Nadu Cabinet Reshuffle: Udhayanidhi Stalin Is Deputy CM, Senthil Balaji Back In Government

Four Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leaders were sworn in as the ministers in the Tamil Nadu government on Sunday at Raj Bhavan as part of a cabinet reshuffle in Chief Minister MK Stalin’s team. Senthil Balaji, who recently got bail in connection to a money laundering case linked to an alleged cash-for-jobs scam, was re-inducted as a minister and took oath.

The three other MLAs –Govi Chezhian, SM Nasar and KS Masthan— also took oath in a low-key ceremony at Raj Bhavan in Chennai. Governor RN Ravi administered the oath of office to the new ministers.

Udhayanidhi Stalin Becomes Deputy CM

MK Stalin’s son, Udhayanidhi, has been appointed as the deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu. He is the third-generation leader in his family to get a key role in the Tamil Nadu government after his grandfather and DMK veteran late M Karunanidhi and his father MK Stalin. The DMK patriarch was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for several terms and his son MK Stalin became the Chief Minister in 2021.

The ruling DMK’s rank and file had been seeking Udhayanidhi’s elevation with an eye on the 2026 Assembly polls, which the party is keen to win and retain power in the state.

The 46-year-old leader is the third Deputy Chief Minister of the state after his father Stalin and AIADMK leader, O Panneerselvam (OPS). He did not take oath at today’s ceremony since he is already a minister in the state government.

According to the press statement released by the Raj Bhavan on Saturday, Udhayanidhi, who is currently the minister of Sports and Youth Welfare, has also been allotted an additional portfolio of Planning and Development, and elevated as the deputy Chief Minister of the state.

Senthil Balaji returns as minister

DMK leader Balaji, who spent 15 months in jail in a money laundering case before the Supreme Court granted him bail earlier this week, was reinstated as minister in the cabinet.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested Balaji, the then minister for Electricity and Excise and Prohibition, in June last year in a money laundering case linked to an alleged cash-for-jobs scam.

The governor had dismissed Balaji, but he quickly backtracked on it. However, Balaji, who was a minister without portfolio for long, resigned in February this year which the Governor accepted.

Cabinet reshuffle

On Saturday, the Governor approved Stalin’s recommendations on dropping T Mano Thangaraj who held the Milk and Dairy Development portfolio, Minorities Welfare Minister Gingee S Masthan and K Ramachandran (Tourism).

Minister for Higher Education, Dr K Ponmudy, is now Minister for Forests. Environment Minister Siva V Meyyanathan is Minister for Backward Classes while Dr M Mathiventhan, currently holding the Forests portfolio, has been given Adi Dravidar Welfare. Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu has been given additional portfolio of Environment and Climate Change. R S Rajakannappan, holding Backward Classes Welfare portfolio, is Milk and Dairy Development and Khadi minister.

(With inputs from agencies)