DMK Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin Set To Become Tamil Nadu Deputy CM, Announcement To Be Made Soon: Report

DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin is likely to be appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Currently holding the position of Sports and Youth Welfare Minister in Tamil Nadu government, Udhayanidhi’s possible elevation is expected in the next 24 hours, India Today reported citing sources.

Ahead of his visit to the United States earlier this month, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had reportedly hinted at elevating Udhayanidhi to the position of Deputy Chief Minister.

In addition to his role as the Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare, Udhayanidhi also oversees the key portfolio of Special Programme Implementation.

The announcement on Udhayanidhi’s elevation is likely to be made around Wednesday (18 September) noon, News18 reported.

Udhayanidhi Stalin had last year courted controversy with his comments on Sanatana Dharma, which led to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) labelling the DMK as an “anti-Hindu” party.

In September last year, Udhayanidhi Stalin stated that Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated.

Despite the backlash that followed, the DMK youth wing secretary stuck to his stance and said he will face the cases legally.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) criticised the DMK for “son-rise” within the party ranks.

“He does not have the maturity and capacity to be made the Deputy Chief Minister. You can’t expect more than this from the DMK. He abused Hindu religion by saying Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated," said BJP spokesperson Narayanan Tirupathi.

The AIADMK called the DMK a classic example of a “dynast party”

“It clearly exposes how big a liar M K Stalin is. In 2018, Stalin had said his son and son-in-law won’t enter politics. Now see what happened. The DMK is a perfect example of a dynast party. There is no democracy in the DMK. It is not good for the state to give entire power to one family," said AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Satyan.

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