How Udhayanidhi Stalin, new TN Deputy CM, rose through DMK ranks
The newly appointed Tamil Nadu Deputy CM courted controversy last year over his remarks on Sanatan Dharma for which he was rebuked by the Supreme Court
Udhayanidhi’s profile has since been on the rise within the party, with DMK social media handles covering him faithfully, particularly his visits to his constituency. (X/@udhayanidhi)
Tamil Nadu Minister and son of DMK chief M K Stalin, Udhayanidhi Stalin was on Saturday elevated as deputy CM of Tamil Nadu, ending days of speculation over the move.
Udhayanidhi made his political debut just over five years ago when, before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he toured the state as head of the DMK youth wing.
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Last year, he became the centre of a huge controversy after he called for the “eradication” of Sanatan Dharma., drawing flak from the BJP which accused him of “calling of a genocide”. The Supreme Court in March slammed him observing that he had abused his free speech rights and asked if he was even aware of the consequences of his remarks.
“You abuse your Article 19(1)(a) right. You abuse your Article 25 right. Now you are exercising your Article 32 right? Do you not know the consequences of what you said?” Justice Dipankar Datta, who was part of a two-judge Bench, asked Udhayanidhi.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, Udhayanidhi was fielded from one of the DMK’s safest seats, Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni in Chennai. With his win virtually certain, Udhayanidhi proceeded to campaign across the state, brandishing at rallies a brick to underline how the previous AIADMK-BJP government had failed to complete work on the promised AIIMS-Madurai.
Several months after the DMK came to power and his father M K Stalin became the CM, Udhayanidhi was inducted as a minister, with the portfolios of Welfare and Sports Development.
Udhayanidhi’s profile has since been on the rise within the party, with DMK social media handles covering him faithfully, particularly his visits to his constituency. In preparation of this widening role in the government, he has curtailed his movie career, with last year’s well-received Maamannan talked about as perhaps his last as an actor, though he still runs one of South India’s most prominent film companies.
This rise and rise has not been without its share of detractors, especially in a party that swears by its ideological moorings. While late DMK veteran M Karunanidhi first opened party doors to the family, accommodating both his sons (Stalin, M Alagiri) and his daughter (Kanimozhi), he had ensured that they kept away from the spotlight as long as he was himself physically active in politics.
What has changed, however, is that power within the DMK is now entirely concentrated under Stalin, meaning that this latest promotion for Udhaynidhi is unlikely to face much dissent. Where he faced stiff challenge for a long time from elder brother Alagiri in the tussle for Karunanidhi’s legacy, Stalin is now the uncontested leader of the DMK, while Alagiri’s son Dayanidhi gets along very well with Udhayanidhi.
A relative told The Indian Express earlier, around the time that Udhayanidhi was made a minister, that he was anyway hardly a “novice”. “He is an elected MLA who has been in the game since a long time. He is not a nominated member like some others,” the relative said. Others close to the family point out how Udhayanidhi held out being made a minister for months after Stalin became CM.
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Now though he is said to have pushed to be made Deputy CM before Stalin takes a break, ending the general belief once that he was not politically ambitious, and that mother Durga had pushed his case.
The 46-year-old is married to Kiruthiga, who has interests in fashion, publication and film and documentary production.
There is a whiff of controversy about these parallel interests of Udhayanidhi and family, with the 2006-11 DMK regime facing accusations of trying to monopolise the film industry, with control over production, distribution, exhibition and sale of film rights. Little has changed since, with Udhayanidhi’s Red Giant Movies considered the last word in the Tamil Nadu film industry now.
Udhayanidhi is also shadowed by allegations around his powerful brother-in-law Sabareesan, a key behind-the-scenes figure in the DMK government.
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
