Udhayanidhi Stalin (born 27 November 1977) is an Indian politician, film producer and former actor who has been the 3rd and current Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu since 2024, serving under his fatherM. K. Stalin.[1][2] He is the youngest person in Tamil Nadu to have ever held the position. He has also been the Minister of Youth Welfare and Sports Development in Tamil Nadu since December 2022.[3]
Born and raised in Madras (now Chennai), Udhayanidhi attended the Don Bosco school and later received a degree in commerce from Loyola College in Chennai. Prior to his career as a politician, Udhayanidhi has done social and community work with his grandfather M. Karunanidhi and father M. K. Stalin to many communities around Tamil Nadu.
Udhayanidhi was born on 27 November 1977 as the son of M. K. Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, and the grandson of one of the longest serving Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi.He attended the Don Bosco school and has a degree in commerce from Loyola College in Chennai.[4][5][6] Several of his relatives have been actively involved in politics, and Tamil cinema since the 1950s. His cousins Arulnithi and Dayanidhi Azhagiri are also an actor and a producer, respectively.[7]
Udhayanidhi at the 60th South Filmfare Awards in 2013
In 2012, he debuted as a lead actor in M. Rajesh's romantic comedy Oru Kal Oru Kannadi (2012), co-starring with Hansika Motwani and Santhanam. Stalin received positive reviews for his performance of an unemployed youth. Behindwoods noted: "Udhay's portrayal of Saravanan is neat and enjoyable. He scored well in his debut supported Santhanam well in the film", while Sify.com added: "Udhay's debut is promising and hats off to him to underplay his role".[17][18] Stalin won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance.[19] The success of Oru Kal Oru Kannadi prompted Stalin to continue acting and he appeared in Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal (2014) and Nanbenda (2015), both films featuring him opposite Nayanthara.[20][21] He worked on Gethu (2016), with Amy Jackson[22] and then performed in the courtroom drama Manithan (2016), with Hansika Motwani, a remake of the Hindi film Jolly LLB.[23]
Udhayanidhi Stalin introduced a robotic sewer cleaner in his constituency of Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni for the first time in Tamil Nadu on 21 June 2021.[34]
Udhayanidhi Stalin was nominated as a member of Anna University's Syndicate for a period of three years. The announcement was made by Speaker M. Appavu in the Assembly on 13 September 2021.[35][36]
Minister of Youth Welfare and Sports Development (2022—present)
Udhayanidhi Stalin was sworn in as minister in Youth Welfare and Sports Development, in his father's cabinet in Tamil Nadu on 14 December 2022.[37]
Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (2024—present)
Udhayanidhi was nominated as deputy chief minister in 9.00 p.m on 28 September 2024, by his own father M.K. Stalin. He is the youngest person in the state's history to hold the position as deputy chief minister.[38]
During an election rally at Dharapuram in 2021, Udhyanidhi alleged that both Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley died due to stress from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, responding to comments made by the Prime Minister at Dharapuram, where Modi had said that Udhyanidhi had reached the top post in the party, sidelining many leaders.[39][40]
Both Bansuri Swaraj, the daughter of Sushma Swaraj, and Sonali Jaitley Bakshi, the daughter of Arun Jaitley, called the comments false.[41][42]
Following this, the Election Commission of India (EC) issued a notice of election violation to Udhayanidhi and asked him to respond.[43]
Remarks on Sanatana Dharma
On September 2, 2023, while addressing a conference organized by the Tamil Nadu, M.K.Stalin made a controversial statement likening Sanatana Dharma to diseases like malaria and dengue. He emphasized that Sanatana Dharma should not merely be opposed but must be eradicated, claiming that it opposes social justice and equality. This remark was met with widespread outrage across the nation, with many interpreting it as a call for genocide. Political leaders from the INDIA bloc, notably the Chief Minister of West BengalMamata Banerjee, publicly distanced themselves from Stalin's remarks, expressing their disapproval.[44][45]
Following this, senior Supreme Court lawyer Vineet Jindal reported the remarks to the Delhi Police calling them "provocative, inciting and defamatory."[46] Lawyer Sudhir Kumar Ojha also filed a complaint with the Muzaffarpur Magistrate Court.[47]
Stalin said he was standing by his stance despite the Madras High Court's criticism of the police for not taking action against him. He claims he hasn't said anything wrong and is ready to face legal consequences, stating that his ideology aligns with that of B.R. Ambedkar, Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (Periyar), and Thirumavalavan.[48]
A letter signed by 262 notable citizens and sent to Chief Justice DY Chandrachud pressed for the Supreme Court to take up the case on its own.[49] The Supreme Court subsequently began an investigation into the remarks.[50] On March 4, 2024 during the hearing of a plea, the Supreme Court of India rebuked Udhayanidhi Stalin over his reported comments and questioned why he had approached the court to consolidate the FIRs filed against him after allegedly misusing his right to freedom of speech and expression. The court also noted that, as a minister, Stalin should have exercised caution in his statements and been mindful of the potential consequences.[51]
Personal life
Udhayanidhi married Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi in 2002. The couple has a son named Inba and a daughter named Tanmaya. Kiruthiga, who heads the lifestyle magazine Inbox 1305,[52] has also directed the films Vanakkam Chennai (2013) and Kaali (2018).[53][54] In 2021, their son signed for NEROCA FC football club which plays in the I-League.[55][56] Udhayanidhi describes himself as an atheist.[57] He also identified himself as a ‘Proud Christian’ in a Christman Event in 2023.[58]
