MLA · 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly (2026–31)Former MLA · 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly (2026–31)

Udhayanidhi Stalin
  • Won 2026 by 7,140
  • Leader of the Opposition

Udhayanidhi Stalin

உதயநிதி ஸ்டாலின்

MLA for Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni since May 2026MLA for Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni, 2026–31DMK

Leader of the Opposition, 17th Assembly from 10 May 2026

  • AC 19 · Chennai district
  • Sitting MLA · 17th Assembly (2026–31)
  • Born 27 November 1977
times elected MLA
2

Affidavit details not verified yet: the public record we use for this seat could not be matched to this MLA, so assets, cases and education are not shown.

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Career

Udhayanidhi Stalin: the career, year by year

  1. 2021
  2. 2026

Elected from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni 2 times

  • Assembly win
  • Office held
  1. 2008

    Founds Red Giant Movies; first production is Vijay-starrer Kuruvi.

  2. 2012

    Acting debut in Oru Kal Oru Kannadi — wins the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut (South) and the SIIMA Best Male Debutant award.

  3. 4 July 2019

    Appointed Secretary, DMK Youth Wing by his father M. K. Stalin — formal entry into politics.

  4. May 2021

    Wins Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni on his debut with around 67.9% vote share — defeats PMK's A.V.A. Kassali.

  5. 14 December 2022

    Sworn in as Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development in the M. K. Stalin cabinet.

  6. 29 June 2023

    Maamannan, directed by Mari Selvaraj and produced under Red Giant, releases — his final acting credit before stepping back from films.

  7. July 2023

    Resigns from Red Giant Movies operations to focus on politics. His son Inban later joins the firm as chief executive in 2025.

  8. 2 September 2023

    Calls for the eradication of Sanatana Dharma at a Chennai conference, drawing legal complaints across multiple states. The Supreme Court takes suo motu cognizance and later (4 March 2024) cautions him on ministerial speech.

  9. 28 September 2024

    Elevated to Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu — the third person and the youngest ever to hold the post. Adds Planning, Development, Special Programme Implementation, Poverty Alleviation and Rural Indebtedness to his portfolio.

  10. 4 May 2026

    Won Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni for the DMK (polling was on 23 April).

    See the full 2026 result
  11. 5 May 2026

    Demits office as Deputy Chief Minister with the Stalin cabinet's resignation, following DMK's loss of majority to TVK.

  12. 7 May 2026

    Elected Leader of the DMK Legislature Party at its meeting at Anna Arivalayam; K. N. Nehru was elected deputy leader and E. V. Velu named party whip. Became Leader of the Opposition in the 17th Assembly on 10 May 2026.

Profile

About Udhayanidhi Stalin

Son of former CM M. K. Stalin and grandson of late CM M. Karunanidhi, Udhayanidhi served as Tamil Nadu's Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development from December 2022 and was elevated to Deputy Chief Minister in September 2024 — the third person and the youngest to hold that office. Before politics he was a Tamil film actor and the founder of Red Giant Movies, the production house behind Maamannan, Mookuthi Amman and Aadhavan. He was elected Leader of the DMK Legislature Party on 7 May 2026 and became Leader of the Opposition in the 17th Assembly on 10 May 2026.

Party
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Office
Leader of the Opposition, 17th Assembly from 10 May 2026
Born
27 November 1977 in Madras (Chennai), Tamil Nadu
Profession
Politician (DMK Youth Wing 2019- ); former film actor and producer; founder of Red Giant Movies (2008-2023)
District
Chennai

Education

  • SchoolingDon Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Egmore, Chennai
  • GraduationB.Com — Loyola College, Chennai

Party & ideology

Udhayanidhi sits squarely in the DMK's Dravidian-rationalist tradition — atheist, anti-caste, claiming descent from the Periyar-Karunanidhi-Anna lineage on social justice and language pride. His most-quoted political position is the September 2023 call to 'eradicate' Sanatana Dharma, which he framed as an attack on caste hierarchy in line with B. R. Ambedkar and Periyar; the statement triggered legal challenges and a Supreme Court rebuke on ministerial restraint. Within the DMK, he is widely seen as M. K. Stalin's political heir — though the 2026 verdict, which cut his Chepauk margin from over 60,000 in 2021 to roughly 7,000 and stripped DMK of power, has reopened the succession question.

Family

Son of M. K. Stalin (8th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, sitting until 5 May 2026) and Durga Stalin. Grandson of late former CM M. Karunanidhi. Married filmmaker Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi in 2002 — they have a son, Inban, and a daughter, Tanmaya. Cousin to actor Arulnithi and Dayanidhi Azhagiri. Self-described atheist.

Notable statements

“I am ready to face the legal consequences. I stand by what I said. — on the Sanatana Dharma row, September 2023”

Awards & recognition

  • Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut (South) — Oru Kal Oru Kannadi (2012)
  • SIIMA Award for Best Male Debutant — Oru Kal Oru Kannadi (2012)
  • Norway Tamil Film Festival — Best Newcomer Actor

Official channels

X (personal)X (office)InstagramFacebook

Questions people ask

Who is Udhayanidhi Stalin?

Udhayanidhi Stalin (b. 27 November 1977) was elected in 2026 as the DMK MLA from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni (AC 19), the Leader of the Opposition since 10 May 2026 and a former Deputy Chief Minister, son of former Chief Minister M. K. Stalin and grandson of M. Karunanidhi. Before politics he was a Tamil film actor and the founder of Red Giant Movies.

How did he do in the 2026 election?

He retained Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni with 62,992 votes and a margin of 7,140 over TVK's D. Selvam. The seat held for DMK, but the cushion narrowed sharply from the 2021 sweep, mirroring DMK's broader losses to TVK.

What portfolios did he hold as Deputy CM?

From September 2024 to May 2026 he held Youth Welfare, Sports Development, Planning & Development, Special Programme Implementation, Poverty Alleviation and Rural Indebtedness — making him one of the most heavily-portfolioed Deputy CMs in Tamil Nadu's history.

What was the Sanatana Dharma controversy?

On 2 September 2023, at a Chennai conference, Udhayanidhi called for Sanatana Dharma to be 'eradicated', comparing it to diseases like dengue and malaria. The remark drew complaints across several states; the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance and on 4 March 2024 cautioned him that ministers must exercise restraint in public speech. He defended the comment as in line with Periyar and Ambedkar.

What films did he act in?

His acting credits include Oru Kal Oru Kannadi (2012, debut), Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal (2014), Manithan (2016), Gethu (2016), Kanne Kalaimaane (2019), Psycho (2020) and Maamannan (2023, his final film). As producer through Red Giant Movies, he backed Kuruvi, Aadhavan, 7 Aum Arivu, Manmadan Ambu, Mookuthi Amman and many others.

Other MLAs from Chennai district

N. Marie WilsonDr.Radhakrishnan Nagar · TVKC. Joseph VijayPerambur · TVKV. S. BabuKolathur · TVKAadhav ArjunaVillivakkam · TVKM. R. PallaviThiru-Vi-Ka-Nagar · TVKRajmohanEgmore · TVKK. V. Vijay DamuRoyapuram · TVKP. K. SekarbabuHarbour · DMKJ. C. D. PrabhakarThousand Lights · TVKV. K. RamkumarAnna Nagar · TVKR. SabarinathanVirugampakkam · TVKM. Arul PrakasamSaidapet · TVKN. AnandThiyagarayanagar · TVKP. VenkataramananMylapore · TVKR. KumarVelachery · TVK

Page last changed 2 October 2026.

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