Tamil Nadu Cabinet: Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi has approved Chief Minister MK Stalin's recommendations for a cabinet reshuffle, following which his son Udhayanidhi Stalin will be elevated to the post of deputy chief minister on Sunday (September 29). The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to be held at 3:30 pm at Raj Bhavan, Chennai, according to an official communique from the Governor's office. 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.
In the latest reshuffle, DMK's Karur district secretary Senthil Balaji, who recently got bail after 471 days of incarceration in a cash-for-job scam case, has also been re-inducted into the cabinet. Besides Balaji, Dr Govi Chezhiaan, R Rajendran and SM Nasar will also be inducted into the cabinet. Nasar was dropped as Milk and Dairy Development minister in an earlier cabinet reshuffle.
Further, T Mano Thangaraj who held the Milk and Dairy Development portfolio, Minorities Welfare Minister Gingee S Masthan and K Ramachandran (Tourism) were dropped from the cabinet.
Who Gets What?
As part of the exercise, the portfolios of many ministers will be changed. Udhayanidhi, who was Minister of Youth Welfare and Sports, will also get the planning and development portfolio in addition to his existing responsibilities and be designated as deputy chief minister. Here's the list of which minister will hold what portfolio after rejig.
Meanwhile, it is speculated that Senthil Balaji will be allotted the power department again, the portfolio he held before his arrest. Govi Cheliyan will likely to be given the higher education department.
Exchange Portfolios:
Environment Minister Siva V Meyyanathan will be the new Minister for Backward Classes while Dr M Mathiventhan, currently holding the Forests portfolio, will be given Adi Dravidar Welfare.
Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, is also likely to get an additional portfolio of Environment and Climate Change. R S Rajakannappan, holding the Backward Classes Welfare portfolio, will be the Milk and Dairy Development and Khadi minister.
Current Cabinet Details
| Ministers | Administering Departments |
| MK Stalin | General, General Administration, Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Forest Service, Other All India Service, District Revenue Officers, Police, Home, Special Efforts and Welfare of Handicapped. |
| Duraimurugan | Minister of Water Resources |
| KN Nehru | Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply. |
| I Periyasamy | Department of Rural Development |
| K Ponmudi | Higher education |
| E.V. Velu | Public Works Department |
| MRK Panneerselvam | Minister of Agriculture |
| KKSSR Ramachandran | Revenue & Disaster Management |
| Gold is South |
Finance, Power Sector |
| Udayanidhi | Youth Welfare & Sports Development, |
| Raghupati | Legal Department |
| Muthuswamy | Department of Housing |
| Periyakaruppan | Co-operative sector |
| Anbarasan | Cottage & Industries |
| Saminathan | Tamil Development Department |
| Geetajivan | Department of Women and Child Welfare |
| Anita Radhakrishnan | Fisheries, Fisheries Development Corporation and Animal Husbandry |
| Rajakannappan | Backward Welfare Department |
| Ramachandran | Tourism and Tourism Development Corporation |
| Chakrabani | Food and Civil Supplies |
| Gandhi | Linen and Textiles |
| Ma. Subramanian | Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare |
| Murthy | Commercial Tax, Deeds Registry |
| Sivashankar | Department of Transport |
| Shekhar Babu | Department of Hindu Religious Charities |
| Palanivel Thiagarajan | Information Technology and Digital Services |
| Red Mustang | Minorities Welfare Department |
| Love Mahesh | School education |
| Meiyanathan | Environment and pollution control |
| CV Ganesan | Labor welfare |
| Mano Thangaraj | Dairy Department |
| TRP the king | Industry |
| Madivendan | Forest Department |
| Kayalavivi | Adi Dravidian welfare |