A significant reshuffle took place in Tamil Nadu on Saturday when MK Stalin entrusted his son, Udhayanidhi Stalin, with the responsibilities of the state's Deputy Chief Minister. However, a look back at Tamil Nadu's political history reveals a similar incident on May 29, 2009, when the current CM MK Stalin was promoted to Deputy Chief Minister by his late father, Karunanidhi. Now, Stalin continues this 'tradition' by appointing his son, Udhayanidhi Stalin, to the Deputy Chief Minister's role. This move by Stalin seals the plan for succession within the DMK.
However, when MK Stalin became the Deputy Chief Minister, he had already been an MLA four times, served as the Mayor of Chennai, and had over three decades of active political involvement. In contrast, Udhayanidhi's political ascent has been like a T20 match. He became an MLA for the first time in 2021, and within 19 months, he was inducted into the cabinet as the Sports Minister. Indeed, this is Udhayanidhi's fourth political promotion in the last five years.
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It's worth noting that Udhayanidhi has long been seen playing a number-2 role. He often inaugurated programs on behalf of his father. Udhayanidhi's promotion is also significant for his youthful image, as the state has dynamic leaders like Annamalai under BJP's leadership and superstar Vijay preparing for the 2026 elections.
Will DMK Workers Accept This Legacy?
In fact, Udhayanidhi proved himself during the election campaigns in 2021 and 2024. His campaign speeches have a conversational style, indicating he will play the role of a star campaigner in the 2026 assembly elections.
