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Chennai: Muthuvel Karunanidhi (MK) Stalin, the DMK president who led his party to a huge victory in the Assembly polls was sworn in Friday as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 68-year old Stalin. It would his first stint as chief minister. The swearing in was conducted in a simple ceremony at the Raj Bhavan here.
A total of 33 ministers were also sworn in following Stalin, of whom 15 are first-time ministers. All the 34, including Stalin took the oath as per their conscience and in Tamil, in sync with the decades old tradition of the DMK. Earlier, Stalin, clad in a white shirt and dhoti introduced his Cabinet to Purohit.
Stalin’s family members including his wife Durga and son Udhayanidhi Stalin, who won from Triplicane-Chepauk constituency here were present during the swearing in ceremony. When Stalin took the oath, beginning with words “I Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin,” his wife’s eyes welled up in joy.
The DMK chief’s elder brother, MK Alagiri’s son Dayanidhi and former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran were present.
AIADMK top leader O Panneerselvam, leaders from alliance parties including Congress’s P Chidambaram, MDMK chief Vaiko and top state officials took part in the ceremony. The ceremony went on for about an hour and 10 minutes.
Stalin later paid floral tributes to a portrait of his father and late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi at the residence of the late leader. He turned emotional and he took the blessings of his mother Dayalu Ammal.
Immediately after swearing in Stalin announced a Covid pandemic time relief of Rs 2,000 for the people of the Tamil Nadu. He also announced cut in Aavin milk rate and free travel for women in state-run buses. All these were promises made by the DMK ahead of the April 6 Assembly elections.
Issuing his first set of orders after taking over as CM, Stalin also announced bringing Covid-19 treatment in private hospitals under a government insurance scheme, to provide succour to such people, an official release here said.
