Brushing aside dynastic tag, DMK fields Stalin's son Udhayanidhi in Assembly Polls

Giving up its ambivalence, the DMK has fielded Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of party president MK Stalin and the Dravidian major's youth wing secretary in the upcoming assembly elections. Projected as the party's face of yoth and the GenNext leader from the party's first family, he has been given the ticket for the Chepauk-Triplicane seat. Interestingly, he was the only aspirant for the safe seat in Chennai, considered a party pocketborough. In what the opposition calls as a family affair, Stalin is contesting from Kolathur in the city.

Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Putting an end to speculation, the DMK on Friday announced the candidature of Udhayanidhi Stalin, from the Chepauk-Triplicane seat. In a clear indication that the party and the first family is not unduly bothered about perpetuating dynastic succession, the list of candidates for the April 6 Assembly election had a few other wards of party stalwarts as well.

A day after concluding the week-long seat-sharing deal with the allies, DMK president MK Stalin released the much-awaited list on Friday at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam. Prior to that, he paid a visit to the late patriarch M Karunanidhi's samadhi on the Marina seafront. Interestingly, he released the list shortly after the clock struck noon, at an auspicious time.

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That the party was averse to take any risk in this crucial election was evident with many local satraps and a majority of sitting legislators securing the ticket. However, the cynosure of all eyes was on whether Udhayanidhi got the ticket.

While Stalin is seeking re-election from Kolathur, the northern most suburb of Chennai, Udhayanidhi got the ticket for Chepauk-Triplicane, which has a substantial minority concentration. This would be the second time that a father-son duo would be entering the fray, trying their luck from the city. Earlier, it was Karunanidhi and Stalin.

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Earlier, there were reports of the DMK leadership having second thoughts about Udhayanidhi contesting the elections as that would expose the party to the charge of promoting the family. Hence the party was said to be considering the option of fielding him in the Mayoral poll expected shortly after the Assembly election. However, party seniors including former Union Minister A Raja, General Secretary Duraimurugan have prevailed and Udhayanidhi had secured the ticket. He will be facing the PMK, which is part of the AIADMK-led NDA.

Wards of party satraps in both the DMK and AIADMK getting party ticket in elections is nothing new. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, a few DMK leaders have cornered the party ticket for their sons. In the AIADMK, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam too got the Theni LS seat for his son. This time around, three others in the DMK have got it.

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Despite professing the ideology of social justice, since the days of Karunanidhi, the DMK has been facing the charge of promoting dynastic politics. Countering that Karunanidhi used to claim that the DMK is no Sankara Mutt where there is a place for nepotism and dynastic succession. But, history had proved it to be otherwise.

Udhanynidhi who was more interested in film production and acting was parachuted into the party to head the Youth Wing. Prior to that, he was entrusted with looking after the party mouthpiece, “Murasoli”. And after his induction into the party, he was accorded prominence only next to that of Stalin and despite initial murmurs, everyone had fallen in line. Now, there is no hurdle in his way.

"The party leadership has given me the opportunity and now it's up to the people of the Chepauk- Triplicane to decide,” was the response of Udhayanidhi after the announcement.

Well, certainly a leader in the making!

READ: DMK releases candidates list, Stalin's son to make debut