Son of the soil who won many a heart, on screen and off it

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.

- S KUMARESAN

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.