Chennai, Sep 29 (Reporter) Four new Ministers, including V.Senthilbalaji, who was released on bail three days back after his arrest in a moneylaunering case by the ED in June last year, were sworn in as Ministers in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet on Sunday, even as Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin assumed charge as Deputy Chief Minister following his elevation to the post. Governor R N Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new Ministers--R Rajendran, Senthilbalaji, Govi Chezhiyan and S M Nasar--at a brief ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan at 1530 hrs. All the Ministers took the oath in Tamil. Earlier, DMK Youth Wing Secretary and Sports Development Minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin, who is also the son of Chief Minister and Party President M K Stalin, assumed charge as the Deputy Chief Minister, following his elevation to the post late last night. He is the third Deputy Chief Minister in Tamil Nadu's history, after Mr Stalin, who had held the post during the tenure of late DMK Patriarch Mr M Karunanidhi and O.Panneerselvam during the previous AIADMK regime headed by Edappadi K Palaniswami, post the merger of the two warring factions in 2017. In the latest Cabinet rejig, Mr Stalin, apart from elevating Mr Udhayanidhi and inducting four new Ministers, dropped three Ministers and re-allocated the portfolios of six Ministers. Those dropped from the Cabinet were Minister for Milk and Dairy Development T.Mano Thangaraj, Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Minister Gingee K S Masthan and Minister for Tourism K Ramachandran. The Governor, apart from dropping three Ministers on the recommendations of Mr Stalin had re-allocated the portfolios of six Ministers. After recital of National anthem and Tamil Thaai Vaazthu (Prayer to Mother Tamil), Mr R Rajendran, representing Salem North constituency, first took oath as the Minister, followed Mr.Senthilbalaji (elected from Karur), who returns to the Cabinet after a gap of seven months, Govi.Chezhiyan, elected from Thiruvidaimaruthur and S.M.Nassar (Avadi MLA). Nasar also returns to the Cabinet after he was dropped in the earlier re-shuffle. Apart from the Chief Minister, Mr Udhayanidhi Stalin, Ministers and leaders of the DMK's alliance parties were present at the swearing-in ceremony. Soon after the swearing-in, the Governor announced the portfolios of the new Ministers. As expected, Mr Senthilbalaji was allotted the same portfolios of Electricity, Prohibition and Excise, held by him when he resigned as Minister in February this year after serving in the Cabinet without portfolio for nearly eight months following his arrest in a money laundering case by the ED on June 14 last year in the cash for jobs scam during the previous AIADMK regime. The Excise portfolio, which was held by Minister S Muthusamy after Mr Senthilbalaji's resignation, has been re-allocated to Mr Senthilbalaji today. Dr Govi Chezhiyan was made Minister for Higher Education, Mr Rajendran allocated the Tourism Ministry and Mr Nasar was made Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare. After the event, Mr Udhayanidhi Stalin paid tributes at the memorials of DMK Founder and late Chief Ministers C N Annadurai and DMK Patriarch M Karunanidhi on the Marina beach front and also to Rationalist leader and social reformer Periyar. On criticisms from Opposition parties on his elevation, Mr Udhayanidhi Stalin told reporters, the Deputy Chief Minister is not a post. 'I see it as a new and additional responsibility given to me by the Chief Minister and that I will respond to the criticisms by my deeds and actions". He also thanked the Chief Minister, Ministers and leaders of various parties for congratulating him on becoming the Deputy CM. (ED : PICK UP SUITABLY FROM EARLIER SERIES)...////...