Hour of 'Chinnavar': Stalin’s heir apparent Udhayanidhi joins TN Cabinet on Wed

At the auspicious hour of 9.30 am on December 14, the last “muhurtham” day of 2022, Udhayanidhi Stalin will be sworn in as a minister in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet headed by his father MK Stalin. That event would mark the latest chapter in the “Dravidian Model” of government, in which the DMK and its leader Stalin ostensibly swear by rationalism. But ironically, his family members strictly follow the Hindu norms of choosing an auspicious date and time for an important event.

Had Udhayanidhi — who has often proclaimed that he does not follow any Hindu rituals or visit temples unlike his mother Durga Stalin — chosen the first day of the Tamil month of Maargazhi (considered unfit for good events) on December 16, which also coincides with the inauspicious Ashtami, his commitment to the rationalist lineage of his father and grandfather could have been appreciated. But then, at heart, Udhayanidhi happens to be his mother’s son (he even bears a striking resemblance to Durga). So, the time of his much-awaited promotion as minister could only be at momma’s choosing.

Stalin gives in to pressure

Udhayanidhi’s elevation further formalizes his position in the party and government — as heir apparent to Stalin — since half a dozen ministers were already openly calling for his induction into the government. Even as MLA and secretary of the party’s youth wing, Udhayanidhi (45) has been the guest of honour at government functions, and ministers would often wait for his arrival before department functions could commence.

Also read: Udhayanidhi on quitting acting, working with Kamal, and dad Stalin’s film choices

All along, Stalin resisted pressure from Udhayanidhi’s loyalists and his own family members fearing that inducting his son into the Cabinet would only add fuel to the accusation of encouraging dynastic politics. But there was no escaping the reasoning from his family and some DMK seniors, who, having posted their sons as MPs and MLAs, argued that the inevitable had to happen sometime and this was the perfect time for two reasons.

Enough time to prepare

First, any criticism about dynastic politics would run out of steam before the next big electoral test — the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Unlike Stalin, whose elevation as Deputy Chief Minister in 2009 happened only after gradual promotion as youth wing secretary, MLA, Chennai mayor, and Cabinet minister due to resistance from his elder brother MK Alagiri, there is no such challenge to Udhayanidhi. The only family member who could have resisted — Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi — is now firmly behind Stalin, having been accommodated in the party hierarchy as a deputy general secretary.

In fact, many of the state’s ministers have turned into his most vocal sycophants, even marketing his films unabashedly. Their flattery has become so insufferable that most of them even address Udhayanidhi not by his name but by his self-proclaimed title of “Chinnavar” (the junior leader).

Also read: With ‘Kalaga Thalaivan’, Udhayanidhi hits the right political note

Second, the coming 18 months would give Udhayanidhi ample time to find his feet as a minister, more so if he gets the portfolio of Youth Welfare and Sports Development since that would help him woo the youth ahead of the 2024 and 2026 elections. A ministerial berth would also compel Udhayanidhi to give up his acting assignments and tone down his film production and distribution.

Cinema to take a back seat?

Udhayanidhi and his film company Red Giant Movies have been accused of monopolizing the cinema business in the state by using their political clout to corner distribution rights and screens for chosen films, depriving other players of a level playing field. But insiders say that Udhayanidhi would continue to influence decision-making in the film company, having tied up with the coming releases of Kamal Haasan and Ajith involving business worth crores.

Only, his career as an actor might come to a temporary halt once he becomes a minister, but that is no great loss since his last few movies have anyway tanked at the box office despite party cadres buying up tickets and ministers playing PR managers. Only a handful of his light comedies among the 14 films he has acted in have performed well considering his limited acting skills.

So, Udhayanidhi would do well to invest in his political career and take his ministerial job more seriously. After all, he must live up to his dynastic credentials.