Udhayanidhi Stalin’s induction into the M.K Stalin-led council of ministers is intended to be a strong political message by the DMK before the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Not only will it energise the DMK in Tamil Nadu, but also activate the party’s cadre. The chief minister’s son, who joined the state cabinet as minister of youth welfare and sports development, was the secretary of the party’s youth wing.
But the timing of the induction is key. Is it to spruce up the image of the 18 months old Stalin government in Tamil Nadu?
The DMK is witnessing internal conflicts. There are serious differences in the approach adopted by district secretaries. Within the government, the bureaucracy is not as supportive, likely because the DMK suspects the deep-rooted influence of AIADMK in IAS and IPS postings.
There is a complete divide between the IAS officers hailing from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and those from the state. Several IAS and IPS officers have told me that those from North India have developed an inferiority complex and feel that they are not treated at par with the ‘son of the soil’ Tamil Nadu cadre IAS/IPS officers. This creates discord and affects the smooth sailing of administration.
A big headache for Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is his government’s terms with Governor R.N. Ravi. A parallel narrative is set by Ravi through his pro-Hindutva speeches and pro-Centre approaches. The governor is not giving his consent to various acts of the Tamil Nadu assembly. These are the factors that possibly made the Chief Minister rejig his council of ministers by inducting his son Udhayanidhi.
Also read: Stalin has won, but Udhayanidhi is the real ‘rising son’ of DMK
The rush to induct
Observers are divided on whether the hurry to induct Udhayanidhi was due to administrative pressure on the chief minister or to groom Udhayanidhi before the 2023 Tamil Nadu Budget.
Known as Udhay among his supporters, Udhayanidhi, a first-time MLA from the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni assembly constituency in Chennai, has been allotted the Youth Welfare and Sports Development ministry and the Special Programme Implementation portfolio. Is it an indication that Udhayanidhi will be part of the 2023 Tamil Nadu Budget preparation? Or will he reply to senior ministers’ questions in the state assembly? Only time will tell.
But a few senior ministers in the Stalin cabinet are certainly rattled. Duraimurugan, 81, wants to pave the way for the youth to take charge of DMK. Some political observers point out the changing ideologies of the youth of Tamil Nadu – which is pro-Hindu and pro-Narendra Modi. The youth of Tamil are drawn to K Annamalai, the Tamil Nadu president of the BJP. The huge crowd that Annamalai attracts and the media attention for the BJP are perhaps the reasons why the DMK thought of inducting Udhayanidhi.
Udhayanidhi had presented a brick to his father as a gift for the 2019 Lok Sabha election sweep by the DMK. He had picked up the brick from Madurai, where the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences was not coming up after the Modi government had promised one. BJP state chief Annamalai said there were law and order issues such as Coimbatore blasts, religious conversions and NIA arrests. The DMK was getting bad media. To set this right, the DMK might have planned a reshuffle of the Stalin ministry and also to woo the youth voters.
Also read: Udhayanidhi Stalin – Tamil filmstar, Karunanidhi heir & DMK’s latest dynastic entrant
The reason to induct
MK Stalin’s strategy is to neutralise the power centre in the DMK, the government and in the family too. If one analyses the timing, there has been discord among the senior ministers. Stalin, unlike his father, is unable to control the motormouth ministers. Recently, at the DMK General Council meeting, Stalin admitted that he does not get sleep due to bickering among DMK leaders.
Now, the fiscal condition of the Tamil Nadu government is not conducive. Stalin is unable to fulfil the 2021 assembly poll manifesto promises of giving monetary aid to women and reducing petrol and diesel prices.
In terms of family, Stalin’s son-in-law Sabareesan is accorded massive importance by the babudom, party cadre and the members of the Karunanidhi family. In a lighter vein, a political commentator once said that Stalin has effectively introduced a “single window clearance” system by way of “Damad Sri” Sabareesan. A few Tamil YouTube Channels also hinted that Kanimozhi was feeling sidelined. She was greeted on her birthday by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The induction of Udhayanidhi is also done to perhaps keep a balance between the disgruntled old leaders like TR Baalu, Jagathrakshakan, A Raja, and SS Palanimanickam. In the current Lok Sabha, many of the MPs were picked as candidates by Udhayanidhi before the 2019 Lok Sabha election and therefore owe allegiance to him instead of MK Stalin. A similar strategy was adopted in the 2021 assembly election when more of Udhayanidhi’s choices were picked as candidates.
MK Stalin’s political approach towards the Modi government at the Centre is quite interesting, especially after the Gujarat assembly election. Stalin does not want to antagonise the Centre. The DMK is also getting lots of pinpricks from its allies like Congress, VCK and the Communists. Stalin is adopting a balanced approach. After meeting PM Modi, there has been radio silence in terms of DMK’s vehement attacks on the BJP.
The outburst of Duraimurugan, the General Secretary of DMK, suggests all: the BJP is enlarging its footprints like an octopus in Tamil Nadu. Two major factors have created discomfort in the DMK ruling alliance. The first is the Supreme Court’s decision to release the accused in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination with the Congress approaching the court for a review. The second is the EWS quota. There have been contradictory views from Congress while the DMK is totally opposed to the EWS quota.
Whichever way one looks at the induction of Udhayanaidhi, there are positives and negatives. For BJP though, his induction is political fodder and it will likely use the charge of dynasty politics.
The author tweets @RAJAGOPALAN1951. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)