Chennai: The political grapevine was abuzz with the speculation thatState Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin might be made the Deputy Chief Minister during or ahead of the next Assembly session that is likely to start in the second or third week of June after the results for the Lok Sabha elections are declared.
While arrangements were being made for the convening of the Assembly session that might go on for 20 days to pass a slew of demands for grants for various departments and a few Bills that the government was keen on bringing in, it is rumoured that the appointment of the deputy Chief Minister might also happen some time.
After Udhayanidhi Stalin toured the entire State, campaigning for the DMK and its alliance party candidates, clocking more hours than Chief Minister M K Stalin himself, there was a buzz in the party circles that he could be elevated in recognition of his hard work after the results were declared when a ministerial reshuffle is also expected.
Since the previous Budget session was prorogued without the House taking up the demands for grants for different departments for discussion, the next session could be used to do that. Besides, the DMK government will now have to prepare itself for the 2026 Assembly elections and hence it may have to come up with some announcements to endear itself to the people.
So, the Chief Minister might make those announcements under Rule 110 during the session that will see some important Bills introduced, official sources said.
