Udhayanidhi Stalin takes charge of party affairs to prepare for assembly polls

Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has begun preparatory work for the 2026 assembly polls by appointing observers for all 234 constituencies with deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s seal visible all over.

The observers were hand-picked by Udhay and his team and the list was made public after he was designated as the deputy chief minister, placed no 3 in the cabinet next only to his father M K Stalin and senior-most minister Durai Murugan.

Party sources told DH that naming the observers was the first step towards starting the work for the 2026 polls as they will visit their respective assembly constituencies and check the preparedness of the party machinery and the effectiveness of the booth committee.

Udhay invested a significant amount of time, the sources said, to finalise observers as he was keen on rewarding those who delivered for the party during the 2024 Lok Sabha and not giving another chance to under-performers. At least 50 to 60 observers who were appointed to oversee Lok Sabha elections have been shown the door, the sources added.

Udhay’s ascension in the government has also led to speculation that he would ensure that a significant chunk of the candidates for the 2026 polls are from the youth wing that he heads by asking senior leaders who are in the evening of their political career to retire.

The speculation isn’t without any credence. A week ago, Forest Minister K Ponmudy, who was stripped of the Higher Education portfolio, wondered whether he would even get a ticket in the 2026 polls, alluding to his age.

“A majority of the observers are youngsters. He (Udhay) feels there is a need to give prominence to youngsters in the party and infuse fresh blood,” a senior leader said, adding that Udhay being a member of the Coordination Committee has also helped him have his say in the appointment of observers.

This is to counter actor Vijay, who will formally launch his party, Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam, in Vikravandi on October 27. Udhay’s elevation as DCM was also part of the DMK’s strategy to appeal to the young voters, a chunk of whom might favour Vijay owing to his mass appeal.

The Coordination Committee, which has a mix of senior and experienced leaders, has been quite active in the past few months with Udhay himself chairing meetings with several frontal organisations to prepare them for the polls.

“He is the virtual no 2 in the party as well apart from the government. He is a party to almost all decisions taken with regard to the party. Though 1.5 years are left for the assembly polls, the leadership doesn’t want to take any chances and is going all out to prepare the party machinery for elections,” another senior leader said.

The party has been considering increasing the number of district units for better coordination among partymen and enhancing the party’s presence on various social media platforms, as part of its strategy for the polls.