One of the defining moments of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly election campaigns involved a red brick with the name ‘AIIMS’ inscribed on it. The brick, brandished by the party’s youth icon Udhayanidhi Stalin, pointed to his opponent the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (AIADMK) unfulfilled promise of an AIIMS hospital in Madurai. 

Udhayanidhi’s innovative campaign exposing the AIADMK-BJP government's failure captured the imagination of the voters, changing the course of the election. It also cemented Udhayanidhi’s rising influence in the DMK. 

The AIIMS hospital in Madurai was a promise made by the Edappadi K Palaniswamy led All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) while they were a part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for AIIMS in 2019, the construction hadn’t begun. 

Driving this home, Udhayanidhi campaigned in the southern parts of Tamil Nadu holding a red brick in his hand. He said, “Three years ago in Madurai, the AIADMK and the BJP had inaugurated the AIIMS hospital, do you remember? I have brought the hospital with me.” 

Udhayanidhi did not restrict himself to campaigning for other leaders, but also contested from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency in the 2021 Assembly polls, and won with a margin of over 65,000 votes. The seat had been held by his grandfather M Karunanidhi thrice.

Since his victory, there have been demands in the DMK to induct Udhayanidhi into the Council of Ministers. Paying heed to the demands, the party inducted him into the Tamil Nadu Cabinet led by his father CM MK Stalin in December 2022. Udhayanidhi was appointed as the Minister of Youth Welfare Sports and important subjects like Special Programme Implementation, Poverty Alleviation Programme, and Rural Indebtedness were allocated to him. 

Unlike his father MK Stalin, Tamil Nadu’s new Deputy Chief Minister Udhayindhi’s rise both in the party and the government has been swift. 

MK Stalin was elected to DMK’s General Council in 1973, but it was only in 1984 that he first contested an election – from the Thousand Lights Assembly constituency, which he lost. In 1996, he went on to become the first elected mayor of Chennai city. 

It was only in 2006, a long 43 years after being first elected to the party General Council, that Stalin was inducted into Tamil Nadu Council of Ministers and became the Minister of Rural Development and Local Administration in his father M Karunanidhi’s cabinet. 

On the other hand, Udhayanidhi, who was predominantly working in Tamil cinema in the second half of the 2000s, had expressed no interest in entering politics. He produced his first film Kuruvi in 2008, starring actor-turned-politician Vijay in the lead. Following Kuruvi, he produced several films under the Red Giant banner and he eventually made his acting debut in 2012 with director M Rajesh’s Oru Kal Oru Kannadi and he last appeared in Mari Selvaraj’s Maamannan (2023).

Udhayanidhi was first accorded a role in the party, as the managing director of the DMK mouthpiece Murasoli, even as he was still working as an actor. Later, in the run-up to the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2021, Udhayanidhi was appointed as the DMK’s Youth Wing Secretary, replacing former MLA Vellakoil MP Saminathan in 2019. Within a year of his appointment, the Youth Wing leader made headlines while campaigning for the DMK in Virudhunagar district, for carrying the red brick highlighting the delay in the construction of the Madurai AIIMS. 

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Udhayanidhi became a star campaigner for the DMK. The party’s loyal supporters began referring to Udhayanidhi as Chinnavar (younger one) and his pictures featured along with CM MK Stalin’s on party posters and leaflets.

Commenting on Udhayanidhi’s growth trajectory, Ramu Manivannan, former head of Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Madras, said that the rise of the “son culture" is becoming a common phenomenon across political parties, including the DMK and Congress. “It is a matter of deep concern that the elevation is too quick and too rampant. At the same time, the absence of a second rung leadership in the party is also concerning. Udhayanidhi is not even a second rung leader in the party and the elevation is to train him for the future. It does not augur very well for democracy. What does this mean for the party control, this is going to be a new power centre,” Ramu said.

Senior journalist and political commentator RK Radhakrishnan said that Udhayanidhi’s growth has been rapid in the government, and that the question to be asked is whether his performance warrants one more raise. “What outsiders see is Udhayanidhi conducting a Formula 4 night circuit race and helping sportsmen across Tamil Nadu. Is that enough to warrant a raise? Stalin had 40 years of internship experience that prepared him to manage any political party. Today, Stalin has no opposition, and is the unassailable leader of Tamil Nadu with clear vision and articulation. I don’t see Udhayanidhi in that state now,” Radhakrishnan added. 

But why was DMK in a hurry to elevate Udhayanidhi? Sources in the party say that there was pressure on Chief Minister MK Stalin from both within the family and a section of the party to promote Udhayanidhi as the face of the DMK. 

The timing of Udhayanidh’s elevation is also noteworthy. It comes ahead of the crucial 2026 Assembly election, when new players like actor Vijay are expected to pose a challenge to the DMK. With this in sight, a section of DMK leaders are pushing for building the image of Udhayanidhi. 

According to Ramu Manivannan, the major concern for the DMK would be to see how alliance partners see the elevation of Udhayanidhi. “No matter what image building the DMK does for Udhayanidhi, the best brand for the DMK at the moment is MK Stalin. I don’t think the Udhayanidhi-brand is much greater in value or outreach. Everyone knows that he is being groomed to fit into the shoes of Stalin, politically and ideologically. Stalin may not be a great communicator, but he rose through the ranks of the party and has seen his father in various roles,” Ramu said. 

Udhayanidhi’s political career has not been without controversies. While undertaking the state-wide campaign in 2021, the DMK leader also made headlines for making derogatory remarks about then CM Edappadi Palaniswami’s ‘servitude’ to former AIADMK secretary VK Sasikala. 

At a rally, he said, "When I mentioned Edappadi’s government, someone in the crowd said, it is not Edappadi but 'edupidi' (Tamil for someone who only follows orders) and when I asked them whose edupidi he was, another person from the crowd said [Prime Minister] Modi’s. Someone then screamed that he was a dead body because he fell at Sasikala’s feet like a dead body." He then went on to make more objectionable comments and was served a legal notice by Sasikala’s nephew for his remarks.

The Sanatana Dharma row

Udhayanidhi rose to national fame in September 2023 after his remarks at the Sanatanam (Sanatan Dharma) Abolition Conclave triggered controversy. At the event organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Forum, the DMK leader compared Sanatana Dharma to diseases like dengue, malaria, and COVID-19 and called for it to be eradicated. 

The speech went viral, inviting severe backlash from the BJP and other right wing groups. Several complaints were filed against him including in the Muzaffarpur district court in Bihar. An Ayodhya seer even declared a bounty for the Minister’s head. 

The Supreme Court also slammed Udhayanidhi for his comments and expressed displeasure, stating that he was “abusing his rights” under Article 19(1)(a).

Following the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, rumours of Udhayanidhi being elevated to the position of Deputy Chief Minister became loud. However, his father CM Stalin dismissed these claims in August and said, “Even though the demand [to promote Udhayanidhi] is getting strong, the time is not ripe.” 

It may be noted that Tamil Nadu does not always have a deputy CM.The last time someone was appointed to the post was in 2017, when O Paneerselvam was given the role in the Edappadi K Palanisamy led AIADMK government. Prior to that, MK Stalin had also held the position for three years between 2009 and 2011, when his father M Karunanidhi was chief minister.