The Dynasty Politics taking new turn in Tamil Nadu as Chief Minister M K Stalin is said to be getting ready to elevate his minister-son Udhayanidhi Stalin as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state. Presently he is Tamil Nadu’s youth welfare and sports development minister.
DMK party sources indicate that he is likely to be elevated before August 11. Party insiders are indicating that this decision was taken in line with the DMK’s `first family’ tradition that M K Stalin became Deputy Chief Minister after the 2009 Lok Sabha elections in his father’s Karunanidhi’s cabinet.
In Indian politics though it may be common that a son or daughter plays a crucial power center in the cabinet of their parents, a son becoming deputy chief minister in a father’s cabinet is only an exception. There were only two such examples before us. Both the incidents took place in 2009 only.
The first such move was made by Punjab Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal chief minister Prakash Singh Badal by making his son as Deputy Chief MInister on January 21, 2009. However, as he failed to be elected to the assembly within six months of stipulated time, he resigned in the month of July, 2009.
Later, in the month of August, 2009, Karunanidhi elevated his son M K Stalin, who was already a minister in his cabinet as the deputy chief minister. Udhayanidhi said to be pushed for the promotion to gain “larger acceptance” within the government and to become next Chief Minister of the state. But, already he is known as the `defacto’ Chief Minister of the state, playing a key role in the government.
Earlier, in Telangana also during KCR regime his son K T Rama Rao being a member of his father cabinet became a crucial power center, though he was not named as `deputy chief minister’. Likewise, in Andhra Pradesh, Nara Lokesh is also emerging as a major power center in his father N Chandrababu Naidu’s cabinet.
It is interesting to note that onli in January 2024, CM Stalin spoke about the rumors around his son’s promotion, describing them as unfounded and calling them “handiwork of rivals”. Stalin had also quoted Udhayanidhi’s words that all ministers in the cabinet, including him, were “working as deputies to the CM”.
The 46-year-old Udhayanidhi is also known for his influential film company Red Giants, which has a large stake in the production and distribution of Tamil and other South Indian films.