New Tamil Nadu ministers take oath of office

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government on Sunday reinstated Senthil Balaji as a minister, three days after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in a money laundering case. Balaji, who spent 471 days in prison before being granted relief by the top court, received his previous portfolios — electricity, prohibition and excise — in the cabinet of Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin.

Balaji was sworn in following a cabinet rejig and a day after Stalin’s son, Udhayanidhi, took charge as the deputy chief minister of the southern state. Apart from Balaji, governor RN Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to three new leaders who were inducted into the cabinet — Govi Chezhiaan, R Rajendran and SM Nasar, the new heads for higher education, tourism and minorities welfare and non-resident Tamils welfare, respectively.

Saying that Balaji’s 15-month incarceration was a “sacrifice”, Stalin said a certain group was conspiring against the DMK by targeting Balaji. “As a price for that, his accepting 15-month imprisonment is only a sacrifice. Senthil Balaji has again been given ministership and some could not digest that I am lauding him for his sacrifice,” the chief minister said.

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Balaji on June 14, 2023 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in a 2014 case when he was transport minister under the AIADMK government. Since his arrest, Balaji has been hospitalised for chest pains and underwent a heart surgery at a private hospital. After his discharge he was jailed in the Puzhal central prison in Chennai.

Stalin then reallocated his portfolios, citing his ill health and “not his arrest”. Balaji effectively continued as a minister without a portfolio in the cabinet before being dismissed by governor Ravi, who then retracted the move.

Balaji resigned in February, eight months after his arrest and after the Madras high court observed that him continuing as minister while being in jail was a “constitutional travesty.” The high court dismissed his bail plea stating that it would send out a wrong signal if he was released.

On Saturday night, after months-long speculation, Stalin also elevated his son, Udhayanidhi, a first-time MLA as his deputy and announced the cabinet reshuffle, which was on hold for Balaji’s bail verdict in the Supreme Court. DMK’s alliance partners such as the Congress, VCK and other regional parties who are backing the changes in the party and the government were also in attendance at the event.

Stalin, on the elevation of his son, said that “under his leadership, the sports department of the government scaled new heights, grabbing not only nationwide attention but also from the rest of the world.”

As DMK’s youth wing secretary he has been attracting youths and also shaping them ideologically, the chief minister said in a statement.

“He [Udhayanidhi] has been given the responsibility of being the deputy chief minister, considering that he has to work even more for Tamil Nadu’s growth through his governance skills; he has to work more than before,” the CM said.

Udhayanidhi, meanwhile, said that his elevation was only an additional responsibility. “This is not a new post. I have already been working as a minister and the new position is only additional work,” Udhayanidhi said, while adding that the criticisms around his elevation would be answered, “through work”.

Udhayanidhi, 46, a successful film producer and actor entered politics five years ago and was appointed as DMK’s youth wing secretary.