Udhayanidhi Stalin appointed Tamil Nadu Deputy CM; three Cabinet ministers dropped

Chennai, Sep 28 (IANS)Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has appointed his son Udhayanidhi Stalin as the state's Deputy Chief Minister. Udhayanidhi, who is the Minister for Sports Development and Youth Affairs, will take oath as Deputy CM on Sunday during the Cabinet reshuffle, highly placed sources in the CMO said on Saturday. 

Udhayanidhi Stalin will also be given the responsibilities of Planning and Development, in addition to his present portfolios.

In a communique, the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan said: "The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has recommended to the Governor of Tamil Nadu to allot the portfolio of Planning and Development to Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin, Minister for Sports Development and Youth Welfare in addition to his existing portfolios and be designated as Deputy Chief Minister."

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has also dropped three ministers from his cabinet -- Mano Thangaraj, Gingee K.S. Masthan and K. Ramachandran.

The Chief Minister has also recommended to the Governor the names of N. Senthil Balaji , Govi Chezhiyan, S.M. Nasar and 'Panamarathupatti' R. Ramachandran as ministers in the Cabinet.

The swearing-in of Udhayanidhi Stalin, along with others, will take place at 3.30 p.m. on Sunday at the Raj Bhavan premises.

Meanwhile, former minister N. Senthil Balaji, whom the Supreme Court recently granted bail in cash for jobs, will also be inducted back into the Tamil Nadu Cabinet.

Senthil Balaji who was incarcerated in Puzhal Central prison in Chennai walked out of the jail after spending 471 days in prison on Thursday after the apex court granted him bail.

He is considered as one of the strongest leaders of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the western Tamil Nadu region, and is a sitting MLA from Karur Assembly constituency.

Senthil Balaji was earlier with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).