Tamil Nadu’s new deputy chief minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin, knows that not all his colleagues are happy with his elevation. “I accept your criticisms and will reply to them through my work,” he said, responding to his critics. In his two-year stint as a minister in his father M.K. Stalin’s cabinet, Udhayanidhi has endeared himself to the DMK cadre with his outspoken style. It has also played a key role in making him the new face of the 75-year-old Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
The opposition calls Udhayanidhi a dynast, while his detractors within the DMK call him a novice. But his elevation does not herald a drastic change in Tamil Nadu politics. It reflects the sense of continuity in the DMK, which has ruled the state for over five full terms. By elevating Udhayanidhi, Stalin has indicated that his son will be his successor not just in the government, but also in the party. It has given the DMK a young face to fight the new entrant to Tamil politics, actor Vijay, and BJP leader K. Annamalai. “The decision by the DMK high command is strategic and timely. Udhayanidhi’s elevation assures succession and continuity in the party,” said Vignesh Karthik K.R., postdoctoral research fellow at the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies, Leiden.
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