CHENNAI: The political ascent of Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Chief Minister M K Stalin, has been both swift and strategic, marked by calculated moves to strengthen his position within the DMK and the government.
From a political greenhorn in 2019 to deputy CM of Tamil Nadu in 2024, Udhayanidhi’s rise has been a blend of political legacy and personal acumen. The Stalin scion is the third deputy CM of the state and the second deputy CM of the DMK. His father was the first person to hold the post in 2009.
Udhayanidhi’s formal entry into politics began during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when he campaigned extensively for candidates of the DMK-led alliance across the state for around three weeks. He brought new energy to the campaign, leveraging his star appeal as an actor and a producer.
His involvement was crucial in strengthening the DMK and his campaign style, which was focused on engaging younger voters, caught the attention of both the DMK’s core leadership and grassroots workers.
After his success in mobilising voters in 2019, Udhayanidhi became more active in party affairs. To honour his contribution to the party’s victory in the 2019 parliament general election, he was appointed as the secretary of DMK’s youth wing in July 2019, a position once held by his father MK Stalin for nearly four decades.
The appointment signified his formal induction into the party leadership and gave him the platform to build a following among youth. He quickly set out to reorganise the DMK youth wing, dividing it into seven zones ensuring that it aligned with the evolving needs of the party in a rapidly changing political landscape.
The 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly election was a watershed moment for Udhayanidhi. His campaign, holding a brick to criticise the BJP-led union government’s lethargic attitude in completing the AIIMS project in Madurai, resonated with the masses and the voters. He cemented his political standing by winning from the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency, a seat with strong DMK roots, by a huge margin.
He was later appointed as minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development in his father’s cabinet in December 2022 within just 18 months of being elected as an MLA. His rapid rise was in stark contrast with the political graph of his father, MK Stalin, who took nearly 17 years to become a minister after being elected as an MLA for the first time in 1989.
Along with youth welfare and sports development, Udhayanidhi was given special programme implementation, poverty alleviation, and rural indebtedness and planning and development. This entails coordinating with various departments and women’s self-help groups across TN. The first two portfolios were expected to bring Udhayanidhi closer to the youth of the state.
In the sports department, the TN Champions foundation, launched in 2023, is believed to be Udhayanidhi’s brainchild. So far, department sources said nearly 500 athletes have benefited from it, 50% of them physically challenged. Chennai also hosted the Asian Championship Trophy under him, and the F4 street car racing in 2024, which sparked mixed remarks.
Udhayanidhi continued to forcefully articulate the Dravidian ideology, often acting as a key voice for the DMK in important public events and political debates. His comments on ‘Sanatana Dharma’ being a case in point.
At the party level, he kick-started a debate about providing enough space to youngsters in party positions. Several DMK seniors and ministers, too, later endorsed the idea.
Despite his political aura, Udhayanidhi remains affable and friendly. The DMK’s rank and file, known for its long shawl around shoulders and white shirts and dhoties, has started emulating Udhayanidhi who takes part in all events in his trademark white T-shirt printed with a DMK man holding the party flag. Whenever confronted with questions from reporters, he responds to them assertively yet politely.
Udhayanidhi Stalin started his film career as a producer. After a cameo role in Suriya-starrer Aadhavan, Udhayanidhi did his lead role in the film Oru Kal Oru Kannadi in 2012. He won the SIIMA award for best male debutant for this film. The other films he had acted in include Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal, Nanbenda, Manithan, Nimir, Psycho, Nenjukku Needhi, and Kalaga Thalaivan. His last movie was Maamannan.