A day after he was made Deputy Chief Minister, a move widely regarded as a signal to take over the reins of power from his father and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, M K Stalin was today officially ranked number three in the state cabinet.
An official communique here put Karunanidhi at the number one position, followed by Finance Minister and Leader of the House K Anbazhagan and then Stalin.
Stalin would be looking after General Administration, District Revenue Officers, Industries, Minorities Welfare, Passports, Special Initiatives, Social Reforms, Municipal Administration, Rural Development, Panchayats and Panchayat Union, Poverty Alleviation Programmes, Rural Indebtedness and Urban and Rural Water supply.
Power Minister Arcot N Veeraswami is ranked fourth, followed by Minister for Cooperation Ko Si Mani, Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S Arumugam and Public Works and Law Minister Durai Muragan. In all, the Karunanidhi cabinet has 30 ministers. Meanwhile, Stalin today called on Governor Surjit Singh Barnala.
A Raj Bhavan release here described the meeting as a courtesy call.
Later talking to reporters, Stalin said he met the Governor to inquire about his health condition as Barnala underwent knee surgery recently.
