Tamil Nadu's Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin was appointed Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday, expanding his responsibilities to include the Planning and Development portfolio in addition to his current role.

Chief Minister MK Stalin had recommended to Governor RN Ravi that Udhayanidhi be designated as Deputy Chief Minister, along with the new portfolio. This appointment comes as part of a significant cabinet reshuffle in Tamil Nadu.

In the reshuffle, K Ponmudy, the former Higher Education Minister, has been assigned to oversee the Forests, Environment, and Climate Change Ministry. Siva V Meyyanathan will now serve as the Minister for Backward Classes Welfare, while N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj takes charge of Human Resources Management and Ex-Servicemen Welfare. M Mathiventhan has been designated to handle Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare.

RS Rajakannappan has been appointed Minister for Milk and Dairy Development, along with responsibilities for Khadi and Village Industries. Thangam Tennarasu will manage the Environment portfolio, including the Pollution Control Board and Climate Change, in addition to his current roles in Finance and Archaeology.

Several other DMK leaders, including V Senthilbalaji, Govi Chezhian, R Rajendran, and SM Nasar, have been recommended to continue their positions in the council of ministers. However, ministers T Mano Thangaraj, Gingee KS Masthan, and K Ramachandran have been dropped from their respective portfolios, which included Milk and Dairy Development, Minorities Welfare, and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare, as well as Tourism.

Udhayanidhi's appointment comes amid controversy following his remarks in September 2023, where he controversially compared Sanatana Dharma to "dengue" and "malaria," calling for its "eradication." He stated, “Some things cannot be opposed, they must be abolished. Just like we can't oppose dengue or malaria, we have to eradicate them. That's how we must approach Sanatana.” This statement generated significant backlash and discussion across various platforms.