India has just witnessed yet another ‘son rise’ on its political horizon, with the DMK—which incidentally has the rising sun as its symbol—joining a long list of regional parties perpetuating dynastic politics.
The Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has elevated his son Udhayanidhi as deputy chief minister, in tune with a predictable succession plan to eventually hand over the party’s mantle to him. A similar template was followed by the DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi to anoint Stalin as his successor. Stalin too had served as deputy to his father before taking over the reins of the Dravidian party.
There is criticism that most regional parties in the country are family-driven and autocratic. Once in power, the kin and kin of the regional satraps get to wield enormous power and corner all the benefits. No party is immune from the allegations that they are run like family fiefdoms with no regard for internal democracy. Samajwadi Party, RJD, JD (S) and Shiv Sena have all faced such criticism at different points in their political journey.
Generational shift
Forty-six-year-old Udhayanidhi, an actor of considerable fan following, is already a minister in his father’s cabinet, holding the sports portfolio. His early promotion is part of a carefully crafted strategy to project him as the chief ministerial candidate in the 2026 Assembly polls in the state, which the party is keen to win and retain power.
His elevation, though expected, was fast-tracked by his doting father because of the new challenges, not just from the traditional rival AIADMK and a resurgent BJP but also from the rise of three actors who have entered the political arena – director-actor Seeman of Naam Tamailar Katchi (NTK) party, Kamal Haasan (Makkal Needhi Mayyam) and the top star Vijay (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam). Vijay, with his huge fanbase, is expected to make his electoral debut in 2026.
The regional parties in the South follow a familiar pattern of generational shifts in leadership. Usually, it is the sons who are in the line to take over the mantle, be it the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh or the Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Telangana.
The TDP president and AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is grooming his son Nara Lokesh, who is a minister in the state cabinet, as his political successor. In neighbouring Telangana, the BRS founder president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, widely seen as the architect of the statehood movement, has chosen his son and former minister KT Rama Rao as his heir over his nephew and a strong contender T Harish Rao who is credited with the building the party from grassroots.
On the other hand, YSR Congress president and former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy draws his political identity from his charismatic father and a two-time chief minister of the combined Andhra Pradesh YS Rajasekhar Reddy. YSR’s sudden death in a helicopter crash in September 2009 created a political vacuum, prompting Jagan to float a party, projecting himself as the sole claimant to his father’s political legacy.
The Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a formidable force in parts of Hyderabad, is also a family-controlled party. Its president and a five-time MP from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi inherited the mantle from his father and the party’s founder president Salahuddin Owaisi. His younger brother Akbaruddin Owaisi is the party’s floor leader in the Telangana assembly.
Contrasting styles
The scions of BRS and TDP—KT Rama Rao and Lokesh—offer contrasting styles of functioning. While Lokesh is more a backroom strategist with modest public speaking skills, KTR, as the BRS leader is popularly known, is a flamboyant public speaker with an ability to connect with a diverse set of audience, be it a gathering of CEOs of multinational tech companies or a farmers’ meeting in a remote rural area.
The privilege of birth does not automatically guarantee success in the electoral arena. Lokesh, a Stanford graduate, learnt this in a hard way. It was a long and arduous journey for him before tasting success in the recent assembly polls when he was elected from the Mangalagiri constituency. He was unsuccessful in his maiden attempt from the same seat in 2019.
Unlike his illustrious father Chandrababu Naidu, who has been a shrewd politician and a successful chief minister for over 14 years, Lokesh struggled to prove his leadership credentials.
However, a stint in the opposition in 2019 has strengthened his resolve. He worked hard to hone his public speaking skills, undertook a marathon padayatra across the state and reached out to people to understand their problems from close quarters. As a result, he now comes across as a mature and empathetic politician.
Udhayanidhi’s task cut out
Though the DMK is currently enjoying political domination in Tamil Nadu, the calculation in the ruling party’s circles is that the challenges in future could be more daunting and that young and dynamic leadership is required to tackle them more effectively.
There is a growing realisation that the DMK needs not just the Karunanidhi legacy but also the combination of film stardom and youth to counter the opponents and keep the party ahead in the race for power.
Follow us
