Udhayanidhi Stalin elevated as TN deputy CM, Balaji back as minister

Amid a growing chorus in the party for his elevation, Tamil Nadu sports minister and son of Chief Minister M K Stalin, Udhayanidhi, was elevated as the deputy CM on Saturday with additional responsibility, in a cabinet reshuffle that saw the return of V Senthil Balaji to the council of ministers two days after securing bail in a money laundering case.

The ruling DMK's rank and file had been seeking 46 year-old Udhayanidhi's promotion with an eye on the 2026 assembly polls in the state, which the party is keen to win and retain power in the state.

Saturday marked another 'son rise' moment in the Dravidian party as many enthusiastic Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leaders and workers have already been billing Udhayanidhi as a possible CM in the future, succeeding his father. Udhayanidhi's grandfather, the late M Karunanidhi is a former chief minister of the state.

According to a Raj Bhavan release, Stalin "recommended to the governor of Tamil Nadu (Ravi) to allot the portfolio of Planning and Development to Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin, minister for youth welfare and sports development, in addition to his existing portfolios and be designated as deputy chief minister."

Udhayanidhi, who has produced and distributed a number of Tamil films featuring top stars including Kamal Haasan and Vijay, is also the DMK's youth wing chief. He has also acted as the male lead in a number of Tamil flicks, including the hit Oru Kal Oru Kannadi.

Equally notable in the reshuffle was Senthil Balaji's return. Ever since he walked out of the jail on Thursday, speculation was rife about his return to the Stalin-led ministry in an imminent reshuffle. The CM himself has dropped adequate hints of a cabinet reshuffle over the past many days.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court granted bail to Balaji, a former minister, in a money laundering case after over 15 months and ended his 471-day incarceration in connection with the money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate. The agency had arrested him on June 14, 2023. He was then minister for electricity and also held the excise and prohibition portfolio.

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

On Saturday, Ravi approved Stalin's recommendations to drop T Mano Thangaraj who held the milk and dairy development portfolio, minorities welfare minister Gingee S Masthan and K Ramachandran (tourism).

Besides Balaji, Dr Govi Chezhiaan, R Rajendran and S M Nasar have been inducted in the cabinet. Nasar was dropped as milk and dairy development minister in an earlier cabinet reshuffle.

The governor has approved the CM's recommendations, the release said, adding that the swearing-in ceremony of the ministers designate will be held on Sunday at 3.30 pm in the Raj Bhavan.

Further, minister for higher education Dr K Ponmudy is now minister for forests.

As part of the excercise, the portfolios of many ministers were also changed.

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.