CM Stalin will decide, Udhayanidhi says on his elevation in Cabinet

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin will take a decision on elevating him as deputy CM, ruling DMK's youth wing secretary and Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said here on Wednesday.

When reporters sought his reaction to an excitement among party cadres that his elevation in the cabinet was imminent, he said, "chief minister will take a decision."

When journalists told the minister that party workers had gathered at party headquarters, "Anna Arivalayam," with firecrackers to celebrate, he said he could not visit the head office on Wednesday as he had gone to Anna Centenary Library.

Furthermore, he said cadres and party's high-level panel member S S Palanimanickam (at the party's 75th founding anniversary on Tuesday) have expressed their wish that he be designated deputy chief minister. All ministers will always assist the chief minister and "this is (making him deputy cm), out-and-out, the decision of the chief minister, his prerogative."

To another question related to him becoming the deputy cm, he asserted, "we will talk about that provided there is an announcement."

Days ago, CM Stalin hinted at a cabinet reshuffle and had said that 'what is expected will happen.' For long, there has been a speculation that Udhayanidhi, Stalin's son, would soon be made deputy cm by the ruling party.

On actor Vijay, who has recently formed a political party (Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam) paying floral tributes, for the first time, to reformist leader Periyar EV Ramasamy on his birth anniversary on Tuesday, Udhayanidhi said no one could do politics in the state without following the iconic leader's principles.