Among those who were present at the swearing-in ceremony were his wife Durga Stalin, son Udhayanidhi, and his sister. Also, the present was poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who was the brain behind the election win.
MK Stalin would keep the Home portfolio among others including administrative and police services, special programmes, and the welfare of differently-abled persons. This will be his first term as CM. At 69, he is the oldest first-time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
His father, party legend M Karunanidhi, held the post five times. A seven-time MLA and twice elected as the Mayor of Chennai, today's swearing-in marks the culmination of a nearly 10-year wait.
The new CM takes charge as the state battles a severe
second COVID wave; this morning nearly 25,000 new cases were reported in the previous 24 hours. Cases spiked during campaigning, as all major parties held rallies at which social distancing was absent, leading to sharp rebukes from the Madras High Court.
Along with 33 ministers in his Cabinet, Stalin has a blend of youth and experience to address these challenges. There are 19 former ministers in the Cabinet, but only two women. The new Water Resources Minister is veteran DMK leader Duraimurugan, a former minister and six-time MLA from Katpadi. The post is a critical one for a state that is frequently hit by drought.
The Finance portfolio has been given to Palanivel Thiagarajan, a former investment banker who worked in the United States. During campaigning, Stalin had promised Rs. 4,000 in food relief for poor families, free bus travel for women, and 10 lakh jobs every year.
With reports of shortages of beds, Stalin has appealed to private hospitals to offer beds at low prices. He also wants a war room to help coordinate demand and availability across districts.
The new CM has also made changes to the names of several ministries. He has also not given his son Udhayanidhi Stalin, who won from Chennai's, a berth.
