CHENNAI: It’s an open secret in the DMK camp that Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin, Chief Minister MK Stalin’s son and party’s youth-wing secretary, is going to be included in the State Cabinet. What was lacking, however, was public mood in favour of the move. It seems the chorus among ministers, especially after Udhayanidhi’s birthday on November 27, to see the young MLA as their Cabinet colleague is to create that acceptance. But, there is a catch.
According to the Constitution (Ninety-first) Amendment act, 2003, the total number of ministers, including the chief minister, in the council of ministers in the State should not exceed 15 per cent of the total number of members of the Legislative Assembly. As per the amendment, the State should have only 34 ministers, including the chief minister, one of the districts in-charges of the DMK told TNIE.
“The incumbent Cabinet has 33 ministers and one chief minister. So one of the ministers will be in for a rude shock if Udhayanidhi becomes a minister,” he said, adding that the leadership is, nonetheless, determined to include Udhayanidhi in the State Cabinet as soon as possible. “By campaigning for Udhayanidhi, the ministers intend to be in the good books of the leadership, which to them means getting to keep their Cabinet posts,” he explained.
Another functionary, who is close to the DMK leadership, told TNIE on condition of anonymity: “It’s a widely accepted truth that he is the biggest crowd-puller of the party after Chief Minister MK Stalin. He was first awarded youth wing secretary post after his successful campaign for general election-2019 and the party’s success. Even in the last Assembly election, his campaign against the AIADMK-BJP, pivoted on the latter’s ‘lethargic’ attitude in setting up the AIIMS in Madurai, found wide acceptance among voters. There’s nothing wrong in offering a Cabinet berth to such individuals,” he pointed out.
Another DMK leader said that Udhayanidhi is likely to be made a minister after his campaign for the party for the urban local body polls. “Moreover, it’s not new to offer Cabinet berths to first-time MLAs. Even in this Cabinet, ministers N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj, M Mathivanan, and SM Naser are first-time MLAs,” he said. Most probably, if things go as per the schedule of the DMK’s high command, Udhayanidhi will be made minister after the presentation of budget for 2022-2023, and he will defend demands for grants for his department in the subsequent budget session. Many of DMK second-rung leaders echoed the same.
Limit on minister count as per Constitution
According to the Constitution (Ninety-first) Amendment act, 2003, the total number of ministers, including the chief minister, in the council of ministers in the State should not exceed 15 per cent of the total number of members of the Legislative Assembly. As per the amendment, Tamil Nadu should have only 34 ministers