Udhayanidhi Stalin likely to become TN Deputy CM during June Assembly session

Chennai, May 28 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Minister for Sports Welfare and Youth Affairs Udhayanidhi Stalin is likely to be anointed as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state during the Assembly session to be convened in the second week of June.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly was last convened in the second week of February.

A minor rejig of the state Cabinet may take place, with Revenue Minister KKSSR Ramachandran and R Gandhi, Minister for Textiles and Handloom likely to be replaced.

The lone DMK MLA from Salem District, the stronghold of the AIADMK, Panamarathupatty Rajendran is to be given a Cabinet berth.

It is not known whether there will be replacements for the two ministers who will be removed from the Cabinet.

The debate on Demand for Grants of various departments will also be a major agenda of the Assembly meeting, as it was deferred due to the declaration of Lok Sabha elections and the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) coming into effect.

A senior leader of the DMK on condition of anonymity told IANS that some major announcements will be made during the debate on the Demand for Grants.

The senior leader also said that in the likelihood of a hung Parliament after the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, the DMK will play a major role in cobbling up a coalition government at the Centre.

The Assembly session will also be a period during which the winners in the Lok Sabha elections will take potshots at the parties that faced a drubbing.

The principal Opposition party of Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK and the BJP will have several points to prove in the Lok Sabha elections.

–IANS

aal/rad