A senior IAS officer part of the state government, who wished to not be named, told ThePrint that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, also Udhayanidhi’s father, has increasingly started sharing responsibilities with the new deputy CM.
“Nowadays, we often hear, ‘ask him (thambi ah ketukonga)’,” he said. “When important decisions are taken in the government, the CM refers the matter to the deputy CM before taking the final call.”
Despite widespread criticism over the rapid rise and elevation of Udhayanidhi, DMK seniors, bureaucrats and political commentators in Tamil Nadu believe the junior Stalin has proved his mettle by taking responsibility seriously for his position both in the party and government.
Political commentator Priyan said Udhayanidhi, who is also DMK’s youth wing secretary, has been slowly engaging with important issues in the state.
“Just days after taking charge as deputy CM, he hit the streets when there was a heavy rainfall alert in Chennai. He was on continuous inspection, to ensure there was no flood-like situation or water stagnation on the streets,” Priyan said, adding that there has been a huge difference in Udhayanidhi’s approach to matters in the past 5 years.
When asked about the performance of Udhayanidhi, an MLA from the rival AIADMK from the southern district, said he was taking forward the legacy of his late grandfather, M. Karunanidhi, one of the longest serving CMs of Tamil Nadu.
“Do we even need to teach a person who is from a Dravidian stalwart’s family?” asked the MLA. “First, he was presumed as a newcomer, but his work does not seem to be of a newcomer. He handles things like an experienced person and, more importantly, irrespective of which party MLA is raising the issue, he responds to them.”
Party long-timers ThePrint spoke to also said Udhayanidhi is now being tasked to handle DMK’s alliance partners as well, a matter that was once handled by seniors and sometimes the CM himself.
“After meeting our thalaivar (Stalin), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan met our youth wing leader as well. Similarly, recently, our youth wing leader met actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan. There is a shift in approach and it looks our young leader is taking the lead in coordinating with the alliance partners,” the party long-timer said.
DMK allies include the CPI, CPM, Congress, VCK and MDMK.
While Stalin faced challenges from his elder brother, M.K. Alagiri, as he vied for power while rising through the ranks of the DMK and government, Udhayanidhi has had a smooth ascent, encountering no opposition within the party or the state.
There is no opposition within the family either. A month after he became the state minister for youth welfare and sports development in 2022, Udhayanidhi met his uncle Alagiri at his house in Madurai.
Political analysts do, however, highlight Udhayanidhi lacking contemporaries in the DMK and the assembly.
Commentator Perumal Mani recalled how Stalin’s cabinet was full of former youth wing functionaries, including Ma Subramanian and others, back in 2021.
“But, as of now, except Anbil Mahesh, who is a friend of Udhayanidhi, nobody is there in the cabinet who is contemporary of Udhayanidhi or who is part of the youth wing. Also, there are few MLAs and MPs from the party’s youth wing. This might be a loss for Udhayanidhi in the future,” Mani said.
According to sources in the DMK, there are only two MPs and three MLAs who are part of the DMK’s youth wing.
Speaking to ThePrint, AIADMK national spokesperson and IT wing president M. Kovai Sathyan said the DMK is pushing hard to project Udhayanidhi as its leader.
“He is designated to meet the alliance party leaders. During the protest, he joined hands with the alliance party leaders. Now there comes a question if he is the leader or is MK Stalin the leader,” Kovai Sathyan said to ThePrint.
He argued that Udhayanidhi’s elevation was not based on performance and claimed that he had not done any notable work since being promoted.
BJP state Vice-President Narayanan Thirupathy also stated that Udhayanidhi’s performance was irrelevant, as his elevation was not based on merit.
“Only power matters to the family and they want to enjoy power. Over the past 6 months, particularly after he took charge as Deputy CM, the law and order situation has become worse and crime against women has also increased. There is a restlessness in Tamil Nadu. After he became Deputy CM, Tamil Nadu has gone from worst to very worst,” Narayanan Thirupathy said.
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‘Compensating with hard work’
From visiting an injured government doctor at Chennai’s Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital to dashing to rain-affected areas in the city and then to the flood-hit southern districts, Udhayanidhi was seen everywhere shortly after he assumed the role of deputy CM last September.
Quoting former CM C.N. Annadurai’s words, “go to the people, live among them, learn from them, love them, serve them, plan with them, start with what they know, build with what they have”, a senior DMK leader told ThePrint that their “young leader” (Udhayanidhi) was taking the legacy of the Dravidian party to the youth.
According to political commentator Senthil Vel, the junior Stalin was being guided by his father.
“On a lot of occasions, he doesn’t necessarily need to be on the ground, but yet makes efforts to be with the people. Be it the funeral of actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth or the Thoothukudi floods. Multiple times Udhay has said ‘father wanted me to be here on the ground (appa solitaru)’,” Vel recalled.
After becoming Chief Minister, Stalin acknowledged that he lacked his father Karunanidhi’s oratory and literary prowess but vowed to compensate with hard work.
“Udhayanidhi is doing the same, compensating with hard work,” Senthil Vel remarked.
Stalin is not only guiding Udhayanidhi but has also put senior IAS officers in his team, including Atulya Misra, additional chief secretary in the youth welfare and sports development department, and Pradeep Yadav as secretary.
Officials working with Udhayanidhi said he is more a listener than a speaker when it comes to governance. “He takes note of the issues and after listening to the problem, wants two things. One, an immediate solution and two, a permanent solution for the same,” an official who has worked with Udhayandhi told ThePrint.
The official mentioned the matter of the pongal gift hampers, saying that this year the Tamil Nadu government distributed these to ration-card holders but didn’t include Rs 1,000 cash owing to funds crunch.
He said in 2024 too, the cash amount was decided to be excluded from the hampers but Udhayanidhi fought for it. “There were not many supporters for his demand, but he stressed on distributing the cash along with the pongal gift hamper in 2024. He fought till the last minute and got the work done,” the official said.
Apart from looking at policy matters, Udhayanidhi is believed to keep checks on the bureaucracy as well. A former IAS officer who worked with Stalin during 2006-2011 told ThePrint that Udhayanidhi is having a say in transfer of IAS officers as well.
“Last week, when there was a transfer of IAS officers, Udhayanidhi questioned posting a junior IAS officer to the senior post of commissioner of a department. He insisted on bringing the IAS officer back to the junior level,” the former bureaucrat told ThePrint.
Perumal Mani remarked that with Udhayanidhi being the third-generation leader from his family, discussions about bureaucracy were likely a regular topic at the dinner table of Tamil Nadu’s first family.
“Udhayanidhi might not want the bureaucracy to trouble him after he climbs up the ladder and handles multiple portfolios in future,” he explained.
Also Read: Debut to dominance? How 2024 campaign set up Udhayanidhi as DMK second-in-command
Preparing for 2026 Tamil Nadu election
After becoming deputy CM, Udhayanidhi also began to strengthen his party’s base to prepare the ground for the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections.
According to DMK insiders, he has been strengthening the organisation politically as well as ideologically.
“He is interested in bringing in more young blood into the party, who are ideologically sound. He had been wanting to do this for long, and has hastened it after becoming deputy CM,” a party insider told ThePrint.
According to sources in the DMK’s youth wing, Udhayanidhi is involved in the appointment of functionaries for each district, and doesn’t wait for suggestions from seniors and colleagues in the youth wing.
“Usually, district-level coordinators and deputy coordinators would be selected by the leaders, but he is making appointments even at the grassroots-level, including union, panchayat and village panchayat-level functionaries,” a source from DMK’s youth wing said, adding that the deputy CM ensures social justice even at the grassroots-level by giving appropriate representation to Dalits, OBCs and minorities.
The source also said that Udhayanidhi has been against dynastic politics inside the youth wing.
“Instead, if he finds a person who had been working for the party’s youth wing for years, he makes sure he gets a good position in the party,” the source added.
A senior minister in the state cabinet said that even district secretaries are now being chosen on the basis of Udhayanidhi’s suggestions.
“Recently, there was a structural change in the party and there were appointments in several districts, including Nilgiris, Erode and Thanjavur. All these appointments were made based on Udhayanidhi’s suggestion,” the minister said.
Political commentators see it as a strategic move to prepare the ground for Udhayanidhi to lead the campaign for the 2026 elections.
“He is going to carry the burden of all the pros and cons of the party as well as the government in the next assembly election. Hence, he has to clear the ground for a smooth transition,” Perumal Mani said.
The senior minister mentioned above also said that Udhayanidhi will have more say in the selection of candidates for the 2026 elections.
Udhayanidhi is further said to be concentrating on strengthening the party on ideological lines.
Senthil Vel recalled how DMK’s youth wing under the leadership of Udhayanidhi had conducted Dravida Payirchi Pasarai (an ideology workshop) for all the cadres in the state.
The party’s youth wing also conducted Uyirinum Melana, an oratorical competition, and selected as many as 180 youth from across Tamil Nadu who will soon hit the streets to campaign for the DMK.
“They were not just selected based on their performance. After selection, they were also trained in various fields, including skills to participate in television debates, attend YouTube interviews and public speaking,” a youth wing functionary from the western district told ThePrint.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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