MK Stalin takes oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin today took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the first time. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit at the Raj Bhavan in state capital Chennai this morning. Here are more details on this.
Stalin will take charge of the Home Ministry and several other portfolios concerning police services, special programs, and the welfare of the differently-abled people. Meanwhile, veteran DMK leader Duraimurugan will handle the crucial Water Resources Ministry. Further, the Finance portfolio has been assigned to Palanivel Thiagarajan, a former investment banker. K Ponmudi has been chosen as the Higher Education Minister.
The Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Ministry has been given to MRK Panneerselvam, a five-term MLA from Kurinjipadi in Cuddalore district. The Health Department - which has now been renamed the Medical and Family Welfare Department - will be led by MA Subramanian, a first-time Minister and a former Chennai Mayor. With COVID-19 cases surging, it is to be seen how the Ministry handles it.
Stalin, a seven-time MLA and twice elected as the Mayor of Chennai, is set to begin his first term as the Chief Minister. Aged 69, he is the oldest first-time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. His father, party veteran M Karunanidhi, had held the post five times. Karunanidhi passed away on August 7, 2018 at age 94.
Stalin enters the office of the CM as the southern state confronts a deadly second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. In the past 24 hours, Tamil Nadu logged nearly 25,000 new cases. In fact, the infections surged significantly during election campaigning as virus-related protocols such as social distancing were widely ignored. Stalin's sister, Kanimozhi, has said that handling COVID-19 "will be his first priority."
State Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu were held in a single phase on April 6, and votes were counted on May 2. The DMK won the majority by bagging 133 seats in the 234-member Assembly. The ruling AIADMK, on the other hand, managed to win 66 seats. The Congress party won 18 seats, the PMK won five, and the BJP four.
