Stalin's oath-taking ceremony today, releases list of 34 cabinet ministers

DMK president M K Stalin's Cabinet, including him, would be 34-member strong and he has retained senior leaders like Duraimurugan and over a dozen shall be ministers for the first time.

Chief Minister-designate Stalin's list of persons to be appointed as ministers along with their portfolios has been approved by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, a Raj Bhavan release said.

Stalin would be sworn in as CM on Friday.

Stalin, who would assume office as chief minister for the first time, shall hold home and other portfolios, including public, general administration, all India services, district revenue officers, special programme implementation and welfare of differently abled persons, the release said.

Two women in the Cabinet will include P Geetha Jeevan and N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj.

Party veteran and general secretary Duraimurugan, who had held portfolios like Public Works during the previous DMK regime (2006-11), would be Minister for Water Resources in charge of irrigation projects and others including mines and minerals. Former Chennai Mayor Ma Subramanian and party's north Chennai strongman, P K Sekarbabu are among those who would be first-time ministers.

Subramanian and Sekarbabu have been allocated the departments of health and family welfare and Hindu religious and charitable endowments, respectively.

Palanivel Thiagarajan, a former investment banker, has been allocated finance and Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi school education department.