Udhayanidhi, chief minister M K Stalin's son and secretary of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) youth wing, will be designated a minister on December 14, as per a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan on Monday.
He could be sent to the Ministry of Youth Welfare and Sports Development. He is the party's first-time MLA and youth wing secretary. The opposition is anticipated to level dynasty politics charges.
The press release issued by the Raj Bhavan said, "The Hon'ble chief minister of Tamil Nadu has recommended to the Hon'ble Governor of Tamil Nadu to induct Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin, Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni Assembly Constituency (No.19), in the Council of Ministers".
"The Hon'ble Governor has approved the recommendation. The swearing-in ceremony will be held on 14th December 2022 at 9.30 am at Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan, Chennai-22," the statement said.
Udhayanidhi has been the DMK's youth secretary since 2019, a position that the incumbent Chief Minister held from 1982 to 2017. Before winning the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in 2021, Udhayanidhi was a prominent advocate for candidates from his party.
During his campaign for the 2021 elections, Udhayanidhi 'attacked' the Union government for failing to build the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Madurai, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the groundwork in 2018.
After winning the election, Udhayanidhi installed a robotic sewage sweeper in his electorate of Chepauk. This was the first time in Tamil Nadu that a sewer cleaning machine was introduced.
Apart from politics, Udhayanidhi has also played lead roles in several Tamil films, making his debut in M Rajesh's Oru Kal Oru Kannadi (OKOK) in 2012. The MLA has also produced films like Kuruvi (2008), Aadhavan (2009), and Vanakkam Chennai (2013).
In addition, he is slated to produce upcoming films such as Indian-2 and Kamal Hassan's 234th feature. Udhayanidhi Stalin has also taken on the distribution of films starring prominent personalities like as Beast, Vikram, and Ponniyin Selvan-1.