Udhayanidhi Stalin retained his Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni Assembly constituency, defeating D. Selvam by a margin of 7,140 votes. This victory comes amid a significant defeat for the DMK, as his father, M.K. Stalin, lost his own seat in the same election.
Udhayanidhi’s win is notable—it’s his second consecutive victory in this constituency, but the lead was narrower than in 2021 when he won by an impressive margin of 69,355 votes. The current political landscape is starkly different.
The DMK’s seat share plummeted dramatically from 133 seats to just 6 as of 5 PM on election day. In contrast, the TVK party emerged as a formidable force, having won 10 seats and leading in another 99.
Observers note that Udhayanidhi is widely seen as the political heir of both Karunanidhi and M.K. Stalin. As he navigates this complex landscape, he may be expected to step into a leadership role—potentially as the leader of opposition if DMK remains the main opposition party.
Historical context adds layers to this situation. Udhayanidhi’s grandfather, Karunanidhi, previously won thrice from this very constituency before its unification with Triplicane in 2011. This lineage casts a long shadow over Udhayanidhi’s political journey.
Yet, with such contrasting fortunes within the same family on election day, what does this mean for the future of DMK? Udhayanidhi’s narrow victory suggests challenges ahead—not just for him but for the party itself.
