Tamil Nadu: MK Stalin’s cabinet to have 33 ministers, son excluded

Stalin urged his party men and cadre to watch the swearing-in ceremony on television owing to the pandemic.

File Photo

Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister-designate and DMK Chief MK Stalin will be functioning with the support of a 33-member cabinet. The names have been revealed by the party.

Stalin’s oath-taking will be held at 9 am on Friday (7th May) in a small ceremony at the Raj Bhavan (Governor’s residence) in the city.

The list of ministers released by the party does not feature Chepauk MLA and Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi, who has been at the receiving end of criticism regarding nepotism. The list includes only two women - Geetha Jeevan and Kayalvizhi Selvaraj.

The list of ministers largely consists of senior DMK leaders, successors of veteran leaders and includes only few members of the younger generation. Stalin holds the all-important Chief Minister post that encompasses Public, General administration, IAS, IPS, Home etc. He will be assisted by Duraimurugan, Water resources Minister, K.N. Nehru, Municipal administration minister, K. Ponmudi Higher Education Minister, Ev.V. Velu, Public Works Minister, Ma. Subramanian, Minister for Medical and Family welfare and Palanivel thiagarajan, Minister for Finance and Human Resources among others.

Earlier in the day, Stalin urged his party men and cadre to watch the swearing-in ceremony on television from within the confines of the safety of their respective homes, amid the devastating second wave of COVID-19.

In a statement, Stalin said that he had hoped for a swearing-in where he could take oath in the presence of their party cadre that led their party to victory, but how it had become impossible owing to the pandemic.

This is the sixth time that a DMK government will be sworn in to govern Tamil Nadu. DMK founder CN Annadurai was the first leader from the party to be elected as the Chief Minister in 1967. Following the demise of Annadurai in 1969 to cancer, M.Karunanidhi took over the reins of the party and was elected the Chief Minister five times.

MK Stalin will be taking over his father’s legacy and will be serving as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the first time, in his nearly 50-year political career.