For the DMK, similar to most political parties in India that make no bones about its dynastic successions, the rise of Udhayanidhi has not been a surprise.
Published Sep 29, 2024 | 3:00 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 29, 2024 | 3:00 PM
Udhayanidhi Stalin at ABP Network's event. (Udhaystalin/ X)
On 29 September, Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin took charge as deputy chief minister of the state ending the long suspense about when the coronation of the heir apparent of the ruling DMK would happen.
Ever since Udhayanidhi had been appointed as the youth wing secretary of the DMK, in 2019, it was clear to the rank and file of the party that he was the heir-apparent to his father.
When he was made the deputy chief minister there was not even a murmur of protest from the seniors in the party — some even with more experience than the current Chief Minister Stalin and belonged to the era of his father and former chief minister M Karunanidhi.
For the DMK, similar to most political parties in India that make no bones about its dynastic successions, the rise of Udhayanidhi has not been a surprise.
A decade or so ago, Stalin was embroiled in a tussle with his older brother MK Alagiri for the leadership of the party. The Madurai strongman of the party, Alagiri, managed to damage his relationship with the party patriarch and his father Karunanidhi to such an extent that he was expelled from the party and exited active politics.
Their sister and Member of Parliament Kanimozhi, after perhaps seeing what happened to Alagiri, quietly fell in line behind Stalin.
Some seniors in the party like the 84-year-old General Secretary Durai Murugan hinted at their discomfort towards the anointment of Udhayanidhi but never openly questioned the decision.
A few years ago, Durai Murugan had said it would be his privilege to serve in a Udhayanidhi-led government but, of late, he has been making noises of dissent. Not that anyone paid much attention.
The meteoric rise of Udhayanidhi, an actor with a few average films under his belt, to the Deputy Chief Minister’s chair within five years of his entry into politics has drawn sharp comparisons with his father’s slow and steady rise in the party.
Stalin had to wait for decades before he was even made a minister by his father and even longer to become deputy chief minister. Karunanidhi did not hand over the reins of the DMK to Stalin and continued as the party president till his demise.
Sometime earlier he had made Stalin the party’s working president but almost until his health deteriorated Karunanidhi continued to be in charge.
After working for over 40 years for the party and after the demise of his father, Stalin took over as DMK president and later led the DMK to an election victory in 2021 to become chief minister at the age of 68 — and there were very few who cried dynastic succession.
Udhayanidhi will face very little resistance within the party. The DMK is by and large a disciplined party and the cadre has known for a long that this was coming.
The major challenge ahead of Udhayanidhi is to establish his legitimacy among the people of the state. The reactions so far, at least on social media have not been very positive.
Old videos of Stalin saying that his son or son-in-law would not be in politics and Udhayanidhi himself saying the same have been doing the rounds again. Udhayanidhi’s videos, after becoming an MLA, saying he would wait for his turn to become a minister are also among them.
The feeling seems to be that for some reason Stalin was in an unseemly hurry to make his son the deputy chief minister. It has been rumoured for a while that Stalin, who is now 71, is not in the best of health and maybe this was one reason for the hurried elevation.
Another reason could be to give time for Udhayanidhi to stabilise himself before the next Assembly elections due in April-May 2026. The warm overtures between the DMK and the BJP of late also point to Stalin not wanting hurdles placed for his son by the Centre.
Udhayanidhi claims to be an atheist and his remarks on eradicating Sanathana Dharma caused a storm across the country last year. His premature elevation has given Opposition parties in the state an issue to target the DMK.
Eventually, Udhayanidhi will be judged in the months and years to come on his administrative skills, whether he can rein in the party seniors, develop a rapport with the people of the state and his ability to deal with restive allies.
He is very much an untested quantity who has been given an opportunity to show that he is worthy of taking the reins of the 75 year old ruling party of Tamil Nadu. Will he be up to the task? Time will tell.
(Views expressed are personal. Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
