Opposition slams DMK over Udhayanidhi's appointment as deputy chief minister

While the BJP took a jibe at Udhayanidhi and said that "one more son will rise in Tamil Nadu politics", the AIADMK said that it signified the "end of DMK" in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state in 2026.

In Short

• BJP's Shehzad Poonawala says "one more son will rise in Tamil Nadu politics"
• AIADMK's Kovai Sathyan predicts DMK's end in 2026 Assembly elections
• Udhayanidhi becomes deputy chief minister, also gets Planning and Development portfolio

The BJP and the AIADMK criticised the appointment of DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin as the deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu on Saturday.

Besides being elevated as the deputy chief minister, Udhayanidhi, who is also the Sports Minister of the state, has also been allotted the portfolio of Planning and Development.

While the BJP took a jibe at Udhayanidhi and said that "one more son will rise in Tamil Nadu politics", the AIADMK said that it signified the "end of DMK" in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state in 2026.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said, “Udhayanidhi Stalin will become deputy chief minister, that means one more son will rise in Tamil Nadu politics. First Karunanidhi, then Stalin and after him, Udhayanidhi. This is the case with the entire INDI alliance. There are only two pillars of INDI alliance, one is family and the other is corruption."

Similarly, AIADMK leader Kovai Sathyan also criticised the move and said that it would mark "the end of DMK" in the next Assembly elections in 2026.

"The elevation of Prince Udhayanidhi as deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu marks the end of DMK in the 2026 Assembly elections. This clearly exposes how big a liar Chief Minister MK Stalin is," he said.

Notably, Udhayanidhi's elevation has been speculated since January but was delayed due to several reasons, including the BJP targeting him over his ‘Sanathana Dharma' remarks, which forced even INDIA bloc leaders to distance themselves from him.

His elevation was once again delayed due to the Lok Sabha elections, which were then followed by the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, which claimed 66 lives.

However, top party sources stated that although Udhayanidhi's elevation was all set for August, the decision was made to wait until Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, was released on bail.

Chief Minister MK Stalin, who had earlier tried to evade questions about Udhayanidhi's elevation, stating that the time was not right, changed his stance with the confirmation of Senthil Balaji's release. He said, "There will be changes in the Cabinet, but there will be no disappointment".