In Assembly, it will be Chief Minister Joseph Vijay versus LoP Udhayanidhi Stalin

Former Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has been elected leader of the DMK Legislature Party. As the head of the second-largest party in the Assembly, he will serve as the Leader of the Opposition.

A DMK press release said Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin was elected at a meeting of DMK MLAs held on May 7 at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam.

The Assembly is set to witness a political face-off between Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin — both of whom have film backgrounds.

Belonging to a new generation of politicians, Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin had departed from the traditional attire associated with Tamil Nadu politics — the white dhoti with party-coloured borders paired with a white shirt, always wears jeans and a white T-shirt with a logo of the DMK’s youth wing. In that sense, he mirrors Mr. Vijay, who appeared in a blazer and trousers for the swearing-in ceremony.

Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin is stepping into the shoes of his father, M.K. Stalin, who, after his defeat in the Kolathur constituency, will not be present in the Assembly. His role is similar to that played by Mr. M.K. Stalin between 2016 and 2021, when he served as Leader of the Opposition as former DMK president M. Karunanidhi was unable to attend the House because of age-related health issues and the lack of adequate wheelchair access arrangements.

Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin rose rapidly within the party after being appointed leader of the DMK’s youth wing, a position he continues to hold. Following the DMK’s return to power in 2021, he first became a Minister and later Deputy Chief Minister, emerging as the principal power centre next to his father, Mr. M.K. Stalin. He must now shoulder the responsibility of leading the party in the Assembly.

Re-elected from the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency for a second term, he will function in the House alongside the DMK’s arch-rival, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which has been pushed to the third position.

Though he has established himself as an effective campaigner and public speaker, Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin now faces an entirely different challenge as the Leader of the Opposition. He will have to steer the party through attempts by the new dispensation to fix responsibility on the previous regime for various issues and administrative problems.

Senior DMK leader K. N. Nehru has been appointed deputy leader of the DMK Legislature Party, while another former Minister, E. V. Velu, will serve as the party whip.