Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin carried out a significant Cabinet reshuffle this week, promoting his son Udhayanidhi Stalin to the position of Deputy Chief Minister. The changes were approved by Governor RN Ravi on Saturday and will also see the return of V Senthil Balaji to the council of ministers. In the reshuffle, three current ministers were removed from the state Cabinet. Udhayanidhi, who will retain his previous portfolios, has also been assigned the role of planning and development minister, with the oath-taking ceremony scheduled for Sunday.
The reshuffle also includes the induction of Govi Chezhiaan, R Rajendran, and SM Nasar into the Tamil Nadu Council of Ministers. Meanwhile, Senthil Balaji is set to rejoin the Cabinet just two days after his release from Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai. The Supreme Court granted him bail in a money laundering case related to a cash-for-jobs scam. Balaji has called the case politically motivated and expressed his gratitude to CM Stalin and Udhayanidhi for their support.
Speculation about Udhayanidhi’s promotion had been circulating for months, though the Tamil Nadu Sports Minister had consistently downplayed the rumors. Earlier this month, when asked about the potential elevation, Udhayanidhi deferred, stating that his father, CM Stalin, and the party would make any final decisions regarding new appointments.
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