# List of deputy chief ministers of Tamil Nadu

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. A deputy chief minister also holds a cabinet portfolio in the state ministry. In the legislative assembly system of government, the chief minister is treated as the "first among equals" in the cabinet; 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. 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 5 years out of the 15 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. 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. 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.
The current incumbent is Udhayanidhi Stalin of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam since 28 September 2024.

## List
### Legend

* Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
* All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Assembly (Election) | Appointed by | Political party | Political party | Chief Minister | Chief Minister |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected constituency | Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | Assembly (Election) | Appointed by | Political party | Political party | Chief Minister | Chief Minister |
| 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) | Vacant (16 May 2011 – 20 August 2017) | Vacant (16 May 2011 – 20 August 2017) | Vacant (16 May 2011 – 20 August 2017) | Vacant (16 May 2011 – 20 August 2017) | Vacant (16 May 2011 – 20 August 2017) | Vacant (16 May 2011 – 20 August 2017) | Vacant (16 May 2011 – 20 August 2017) | Vacant (16 May 2011 – 20 August 2017) | Vacant (16 May 2011 – 20 August 2017) | Vacant (16 May 2011 – 20 August 2017) | 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) | Vacant (7 May 2021 – 27 September 2024) | Vacant (7 May 2021 – 27 September 2024) | Vacant (7 May 2021 – 27 September 2024) | Vacant (7 May 2021 – 27 September 2024) | Vacant (7 May 2021 – 27 September 2024) | Vacant (7 May 2021 – 27 September 2024) | Vacant (7 May 2021 – 27 September 2024) | Vacant (7 May 2021 – 27 September 2024) | Vacant (7 May 2021 – 27 September 2024) | Vacant (7 May 2021 – 27 September 2024) | Vacant (7 May 2021 – 27 September 2024) |
| 3 | | Udhayanidhi Stalin (b. 1977) | Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni | 28 September 2024 | Incumbent | 159 days | 16th (2021) | R. N. Ravi | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | | M. K. Stalin | |

### Timeline
## Statistics
### List of deputy chief ministers by length of term

| No. | Name | Party | Party | Length of term | Length of term |
| No. | Name | Party | Party | 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 | | 159 days | 159 days |

### List by party

Political parties by total time-span of their member holding DCMO (6 March 2025) :
| 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 | 875 days |

### Parties by total duration (in days) of holding Deputy Chief Minister's Office

* AIADMK
* DMK