Chennai (The Hawk): The DMK government is probably going to soon welcome Udayanidhi Stalin, the MLA and son of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
The younger member of Tamil Nadu's first family celebrated his birthday on Sunday, which demonstrated the influence he has within the ruling party and the administration.
Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, the DMK lawmaker and Tamil Nadu School education minister who is regarded as a close family friend of Udayanidhi, had publicly urged the latter to join his father's administration.
The young leader received birthday wishes and praise from DMK heavyweights, including the party's most senior leader S. Duraimurugan, the Minister of Public Works.
A former movie actor, Stalin's son is now involved in film production and is well-liked throughout much of the state. He also serves as the party's youth wing leader, and he has appointed individuals close to him to all significant positions within the youth wing.
According to a senior DMK leader who spoke to IANS under the condition of anonymity, "Udayanidhi's birthday party was similar to Kalaignar Karunanidhi's birthday celebrations, and if that is an indication, it is evident that he will be joining the Stalin cabinet."
Udayanidhi is regarded as the de facto power centre in the party and administration of Tamil Nadu, according to DMK sources who spoke to IANS. He has a significant influence over the postings of senior officials.
The birthday celebration for Udayanidhi is seen as a prelude to the election preparations because Stalin gave party members and lower-level leaders an ultimatum to win all 40 seats from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The Chief Minister has since urged the lower-level leaders to focus on the districts where the AIADMK is most likely to win the upcoming Assembly elections.
The DMK's youth branch held a birthday celebration that included blood donation drives, boat races, BP identification drives, and other events. These were viewed as a significant step toward building relationships with the community before election preparations. The party appears to have identified a celebration of Udayanidhi's birthday that they may connect with locally.
A DMK state leader claims that the party has held over 1000 events in the state to commemorate the young leader's birthday.
(Inputs from Agencies)