MK Stalin's Son Udhayanidhi, DMK's 'Rising Sun', To Be Tamil Nadu Minister

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's elder son, Udhayanidhi, will be sworn in as a cabinet minister next week, sources have said.

Udhayanidhi Stalin is DMK MLA from Chepauk - Thiruvallikeni Assembly constituency and enjoys deep-ground support across the state.

Udhayanidhi Stalin campaigned for the party candidates and allies in the assembly elections last year.

Udhayanidhi Stalin, also the DMK's youth wing secretary, will be taking charge of youth welfare, sports and special initiatives implementation portfolios, sources indicated.

Referred as 'rising son' of the DMK, Udhayanidhi is third-generation leader to rise from the Stalin family. The 46-year-old was appointed the youth wing's secretary in 2019 - a post his father held for nearly three decades.

Stalin became the DMK President in 2018 after his father's M Karunanidhi's death. He became the chief minister after the DMK-led coalition won the assembly elections in 2021.

Udhayanidhi has also played lead roles in several Tamil movies. The actor-politician emerged as one of the star campaigners in the Tamil Nadu elections last year. He made national headlines as he attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah during the campaign.

Sources say Udhayanidhi's elevation has been in store for the past few months and the leadership was waiting for him to complete his acting commitments before he could be inducted into the cabinet as a minister.

His grand birthday bash last month was an indication of the clout he enjoys in the government and the party.

Sources say it was an unofficial celebration for his elevation when many party leaders asked him to assume a significant role in the government and take forward DMK's legacy.

On dynastic politics charge, Udhayanidhi had earlier said: "Let the people of Chepauk (his constituency) decide on that. I am telling them, look at my report card, not my birth certificate."