Udhayanidhi, also the DMK’s youth wing secretary, was administered the oath of office by Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi at Raj Bhavan.
The 45-year-old was appointed the youth wing’s secretary in 2019 – a post his father held for nearly three decades.
Stalin became the DMK President in 2018 after his father’s M Karunanidhi’s death. He became the chief minister after the DMK-led coalition won the assembly elections in 2021.
The entry of Chepauk-Triplicane MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin into the Ministry as Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister on Wednesday resulted in major shuffle of portfolios of the Ministry.
Udhayanidhi apart from the youth welfare and sports Development department, which was previously held by Minister for Environment and Climate Change Siva V Meyyanathan,
Udhayanidhi has been entrusted with the additional tasks of Special Programme Implementation department, held previously by Chief Minister MK Stalin, and Poverty Alleviation programme and Rural Indebtedness, previously held by former Rural Development Minister KR Periyakaruppan.
Udhayanidhi has also played lead roles in several Tamil movies. He emerged as one of the star campaigners in the Tamil Nadu elections last year.
He made national headlines as he attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah during the election campaign.
The key opposition party in the state, AIADMK, has termed Udhayanidhi’s elevation as “dynastic politics”, while the DMK maintains that the first time MLA has earned the ministerial berth.
The first time MLA has earned praise from his party leaders and workers for taking the DMK’s youth wing to new heights.
On dynastic politics charge, Udhayanidhth said, “People have elected me. My work will be my response to the critics”.
He also said he plans to build a sports stadium in every constituency. Thereafter Udhayanidhi said that he would not act in films anymore and Mari Selvaraj directorial ‘Maamannan’ will be his last.
“I have also turned down an offer from actor-producer Kamal Haasan,” he told media post induction in to cabinet.
Former Minister of Cooperation I Periyasamy was given the Rural Development Ministry and Periyakaruppan was made the Minister of Cooperation.
Similarly, there was an exchange of ministry between Ministers K Ramachandran and M Mathiventhan as Ramanchandran is now the Minister for Tourism and Mathiventhan is now the Minister for Forests.
Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) which was earlier with Housing Minister S Muthusamy has been transferred to HR&CE Minister PK Sekar Babu.
The Department of Khadi and Village Industries Board which was with Handlooms Minister R Gandhi has now been transferred to Minister for Backward Classes Welfare RS Raja Kannappan.
Department of Statistics and the department for the welfare of Ex-service which were with I Periyasamy has been transferred to Finance Minister Palaivel Thiaga Rajan and the Meyyanathan, respectively.
Team Udhayanidhi has three experienced IAS officers to cater to in the days to come ..
For Youth Welfare and Sports Development department Atulya Misra is the Secretary, for Special Programme Implementation department Udhayachandran, who is also the CM Secretary-I, is the Secretary and for Poverty Alleviation programme and Rural Indebtedness P Amudha is the Secretary.
Officials in the Secretariat said that Udhayanidhi is a first-timer and will be guided efficiently by the senior IAS officers.
