Chennai: Days after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam posted a spectacular victory in the Lok Sabha elections, calls are growing louder in the party to make Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of DMK president M K Stalin and grandson of late party chief M Karunanidhi, its youth wing head.
With today being Karunanidhi’s birth anniversary, many senior and young functionaries have only upped the demand, saying, “Udhayanidhi’s active campaigning and his popularity among the public as an actor helped the DMK and its alliance partners emerge triumphant in the polls.”
If sources are to be believed, it was the party’s treasurer and Karunanidhi’s close aide Durai Murugan who first proposed the idea (to elevate Udhayanidhi), to Stalin.
And, a few days ago, the Trichy district DMK had passed a resolution insisting on the appointment of Udhayanidhi as the party’s youth wing head.
According to the resolution passed by the executive committee meeting of Trichy north and south districts, chaired by party MLA and senior leader K N Nehru, ‘To enable DMK to continue its successful stride and encourage the youth wing, Trichy north and south DMK appeal to the party to appoint Udhayanidhi Stalin as the youth wing secretary’.
The Namakkal district unit of the DMK has also passed a similar resolution, urging Stalin to appoint Udhayanidhi to the post.
Quoting the district unit, a report in the party’s mouthpiece Murasoli stated: “Udhayanidhi had worked hard campaigning for the victory of the DMK-led alliance in the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls.”
A senior DMK functionary told News Today, “Youngsters in Tamilnadu are getting attracted by other parties because of their young and dynamic leadership. Hence, we want a charismatic person like Udhayanidhi to helm our youth wing. We can’t imagine any other person apart from Udhayanidhi for the post.”
Dismissing charges that the elevation of Udhayanidhi would only allow critics to blame the DMK for its ‘dynasty politics’, he said, “Please understand the meaning of family politics. Udhayanidhi is not going to be given any post overnight. We have neither made him MP nor requested the Centre to appoint him Union Minister. He had worked hard for the party for many years and he is a DMK member right from his birth.”
Till recently, the youth wing secretary post of the DMK was occupied by Stalin, who nurtured and headed it for decades. Sources say the party leadership is keenly listening to demands from various quarters and will take a decision on Udhayanidhi’s ‘promotion’ soon.
FROM GRASSROOTS TO GIANT
Udhayanidhi, sources say, is a keen observer of politics right from the days he was a student. “He was a primary member of the DMK till he was appointed as the managing director of party organ Murasoli. His efficient administration of the newspaper and the way he had orgnanised the 75th anniversary of the daily won him laurels from party seniors.”
A film producer, Udhayanidhi heads Red Giant Movies. He made his debut as actor with the 2012 hit Oru Kal Oru Kannadi and his last release was Kanne Kalaimane. A section of his supporters hails him as Moondram Kalaignar.