Udhayanidhi sworn in as minister, joins father Stalin’s cabinet

Udhayanidhi Stalin, scion of DMK’s first family who made his political debut four years ago, joined his father M K Stalin’s cabinet on Wednesday. Governor R N Ravi administered oath of office and secrecy to 45-year-old Udhayanidhi at 9.30 am, an auspicious time on the penultimate day of Tamil month of Karthigai, though the DMK claims to profess rationality.

Known as Udhay among his supporters, the first-time MLA from Chepauk- Tiruvallikeni assembly constituency in Chennai, was allotted Youth Affairs and Sports Development, Special Programme Implementation, Poverty Alleviation and Rural Indebtedness portfolios.

The swearing-in ceremony, which lasted just a few minutes, was attended by Chief Minister Stalin and his entire cabinet colleagues besides leaders from alliance partners. Immediately after the swearing-in, Udhay drove to Secretariat, the seat of power of the Tamil Nadu government, and took charge as minister at his renovated chamber.

Stalin also effected a rejig of portfolios by handing over Rural Development to sulking minister I Periyasamy and alloying cooperation hitherto held by him to Periyakaruppan. Finance Minister P T R Palanivel Thiaga Rajan got statistics in addition to the existing portfolios, while HR & CE minister P K Sekarbabu will handle Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority as an additional charge.

Tourism minister Madhivendhan and Forest Minister K Ramachandran swapped portfolios.

Political leaders and film personalities including Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan wished well for Udhay, who owns one of the influential cinema production houses in the state. Udhay, who began his career in cinema as a producer through Red Giant Productions, donned the role of an actor in 2012.

Udhay’s ascension as a cabinet minister in his father’s cabinet within 1.5 years of his election as a MLA is seen as a clear succession plan by Stalin, who is now firmly in control of the DMK and the government led by it. This is also in complete contrast with Stalin’s growth in the DMK which was slow and steady – he got into his father M Karunanidhi’s cabinet only in his fourth term as MLA.

Read | Udhayanidhi's elevation triggers 'Sunrise vs Sonrise' debate in Tamil Nadu

The choice of the portfolios are quite interesting as they will allow Udhay to travel across the state, much like Stalin, who began to emerge from his father M Karunanidhi’s shadow after he was made Rural Development Minister in 2006.

The sports portfolio will take Udhay to all 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu to oversee construction of stadiums announced by Stalin in April this year. In this department, he will have an Additional Chief Secretary rank officer, Atulya Misra, as the secretary who will help him learn the ropes.

In SPI, which oversees implementation of flagship social and development schemes of the government, Udhay is likely to be assisted by a senior bureaucrat who is known for his work during 2004 tsunami and 2021 Covid pandemic.

Udhay’s rise in the DMK has been meteoric even for a member of the first family and is in complete contrast with his father Stalin, who climbed the party ladder gradually over the decades. Udhay’s first political outing was in 2018, a year after his grandfather M Karunanidhi was confined to his home, and the next year he was appointed as secretary of the youth wing.

In 2021, Udhay contested the Assembly elections from Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni, a constituency in Chennai represented by his grandfather, and won by a massive margin. And in 2022, he might be a minister in his father’s 1.5 years old government.

Stalin, who was groomed by Karunanidhi to succeed him, had to wait for years to join his father’s cabinet. Stalin was inducted as a minister only in 2006, in his fourth term as a legislator and patiently waited for Karunanidhi to hand over the reins to him.

The initial plan, party leaders said, was to induct Udhay into the Cabinet in June 2022 with July-August Chess Olympiad serving as a launch pad. “But the plans were called off as Udhay had film commitments. With his film schedule almost coming to an end now, Udhay wishes to be in the cabinet,” a senior party leader said.

DMK insiders point out that Udhayanidhi’s elevation is being done at this stage only to ensure that he does not have to wait like his father. Stalin’s elevation was resisted at every stage by his elder brother M K Alagiri, but Udhayanidhi is likely to be coronated without much trouble, thanks to his father’s absolute control over the party and the first family.

With Alagiri not even in the party, Kanimozhi is the only immediate family member with an influential post in the DMK and it is very unlikely she will oppose Udhayanidhi’s elevation, source said.