List of deputy chief ministers of Tamil Nadu
| Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu | |
|---|---|
| Tamiḻnāṭu Tuṇai Mutalamaiccar | |
 | |
 | |
| Appointer | Governor of Tamil Nadu |
| Inaugural holder | M. K. Stalin |
| Formation | 29 May 2009 |
| Website | DCMOTN |
The deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu is the deputy to the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, who is the head of the government of Tamil Nadu. The deputy chief minister is the council of ministers of Tamil Nadu's second-highest-ranking member.[1] A deputy chief minister also holds a cabinet portfolio in the state ministry. In the legislative assembly system of government, the position of deputy chief minister is used to govern the state with the support of a single party member to bring political stability and strength within a coalition government or in times of state emergency when a proper chain of command is necessary.[2] On multiple occasions, proposals have arisen to make the post permanent, but without result. The same goes for the post of deputy prime minister at the national level.
The office has since been only intermittently occupied, having been occupied for a little more than 6 years out of the 16 years since its inauguration. Since 2009, Tamil Nadu has had 3 deputy chief ministers; none of them have served at least one full term. The position was first occupied by the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi's third son, M. K. Stalin of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, who was sworn in on 29 May 2009; he was also rural development and local administration minister in Karunanidhi's fifth ministry.[3] The position was vacant until All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's O. Panneerselvam took over; he became the second deputy chief minister on 21 August 2017 and took on the role in addition to his finance ministership in Edappadi K. Palaniswami's ministry.[4] The position was thirdly occupied by the chief minister of Tamil Nadu M. K. Stalin's son, Udhayanidhi Stalin of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, who was appointed on 28 September 2024; he is also the youth welfare and sports development minister in Stalin's ministry.[5]
The current incumbent is Udhayanidhi Stalin of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam since 28 September 2024.
List
[edit]- Legend
| No. | Portrait | Name
(Birth–Death) |
Elected constituency | Term of office[a] | Assembly (Election) |
Appointed by | Political party[b] | Chief Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||||||
| 1 | 
|
M. K. Stalin (b. 1953) |
Thousand Lights | 29 May 2009 | 15 May 2011 | 1 year, 351 days | 13th (2006) |
Surjit Singh Barnala | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | M. Karunanidhi | ||
| – | Vacant (16 May 2011 – 20 August 2017) | |||||||||||
| 2 | 
|
O. Panneerselvam (b. 1951) |
Bodinayakanur | 21 August 2017 | 6 May 2021 | 3 years, 258 days | 15th (2016) |
C. Vidyasagar Rao | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Edappadi K. Palaniswami | ||
| – | Vacant (7 May 2021 – 27 September 2024) | |||||||||||
| 3 |
|
Udhayanidhi Stalin (b. 1977) |
Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni | 28 September 2024 | Incumbent | 320 days | 16th (2021) |
R. N. Ravi | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | M. K. Stalin | ||
- Timeline
Statistics
[edit]- List of deputy chief ministers by length of term
| No. | Name | Party | Length of term | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longest continuous term | Total years of deputy chief ministership | ||||
| 1 | O. Panneerselvam | AIADMK | 3 years, 258 days | 3 years, 258 days | |
| 2 | M. K. Stalin | DMK | 1 year, 351 days | 1 year, 351 days | |
| 3 | Udhayanidhi Stalin | DMK | 320 days | 320 days | |
- List by party
| No. | Political party | Number of deputy chief ministers | Total days of holding DCMO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 1 | 1354 days |
| 2 | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 2 | 1036 days |
- Parties by total duration (in days) of holding Deputy Chief Minister's Office
See also
[edit]- History of Tamil Nadu
- Politics of Tamil Nadu
- Elections in Tamil Nadu
- Governor of Tamil Nadu
- Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
- Chief Secretariat of Tamil Nadu
- Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
- List of current Indian deputy chief ministers
- Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
- Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
- List of leaders of the house in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
Notes
[edit]- ^ The ordinal number of the term being served by the person specified in the row in the corresponding period.
- ^ This column only names the deputy chief minister's party. The state government he heads with chief minister may be a complex coalition of several parties and independents; these are not listed here.
References
[edit]- ^ "Of Deputy Chief Ministers and the Constitution". The Hindu. 13 July 2012. Archived from the original on 28 May 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "Deputy CM is also a minister, post not unconstitutional: Supreme Court". The Times of India. 13 February 2024. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ "Karunanidhi makes Stalin Deputy Chief Minister". The Hindu. 30 May 2009. Archived from the original on 28 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
- ^ "O Panneerselvam takes oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu". The Indian Express. 21 August 2017. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- ^ "MK Stalin appoints son Udhayanidhi as Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister". India Today. 28 September 2024. Archived from the original on 28 May 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2024.