One bitten, twice shy: The DMK has been naming the most senior minister in the second position since 2009 after it faced a controversy.
Published Oct 02, 2024 | 3:58 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 02, 2024 | 5:51 PM
Udhayanidhi Stalin. (UdhayStalin/ X)
Udhayanidhi Stalin, who holds the post of Minister for Youth Welfare, Sports Development and Special Schemes Implementation in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet, was sworn in as the state’s deputy chief minister on 29 September.
Following that the list of ministers in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet was shuffled and Udhayanidhi Stalin was placed in the third position.
In the list of Cabinet ministers of Tamil Nadu, DMK General Secretary and Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan is named in second place after Chief Minister MK Stalin.
Ministers KN Nehru, I Periyasamy, K Ponmudi, and EV Velu are named after Udhayandidhi in the respective order. Meanwhile, Senthil Balaji, who was re-inducted to the Cabinet after obtaining bail in a money laundering case, is placed 21st.
Following Udhayanidhi’s elevation, the Opposition parties in the state have been slamming the DMK for its dynastic politics — Stalin succeeding his father “Kalaingar” M Karunanidhi and now Udhayanidhi.
Meanwhile, political circles have been discussing why the deputy chief minister is named third on the list of ministers instead of second.
Talking about this, DMK’s Organisational Secretary RS Bharati said, “In 2009, when Karunanidhi was the chief minister, MK Stalin was given the post of Deputy Chief Minister. Subsequently, the list of reshuffled cabinet was published on the government website and deputy chief minister MK Stalin was named after the chief minister in that list.”
Bharati added that naming senior leader and then-Minister K Anbazhagan third on the list triggered a huge controversy at that time.
“Taking note of the controversy, the then Chief Minister Karunanidhi issued a new notification naming Anbazhagan in the second position and MK Stalin after that. Chief Minister MK Stalin is following the same line and accordingly, he has named senior Minister Duraimurugan in the second position, ahead of Deputy Chief Minister Udayanidhi.”
The DMK leader said there was nothing to criticise in the decision.
Talking about this, political Analyst Ravindran Duraisamy said, “Cabinet reshuffle and the allocation of deputy chief minister’s post was expected by the DMK. It is a fact that Udhayanidhi is placed in the third position only on the list. Everyone knows the place of Udhayanidhi in the party and the government.”
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
