Cadres ready sweets, crackers, but Balaji slip between Udhay's cup and lip

CHENNAI: The much-speculated elevation of sports minister and DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin as Deputy Chief Minister did another round in Tamil Nadu politics before silently disappearing from the media glare on Wednesday.

CM Stalin also contributed to the hyperactivity of the spin doctors by getting into a huddle with his senior cabinet and party colleagues at DMK headquarters mid-Wednesday. The CM’s Arivalayam meeting enthused the cadre so much that a few anxious cadres ordered sweets and crackers at Arivalayam in anticipation of the announcement at 11.30 am, as was predicted by some news channels. However, no announcement happened till late Wednesday.

As speculation of Udhayanidhi’s elevation fuelled a media frenzy since morning, highly placed DMK sources confided to DT Next that the elevation was unlikely Wednesday. Besides the inauspicious nature of the day, DMK insiders reasoned that the elevation could coincide with the reinduction of party MLA V Senthil Balaji into the cabinet upon his release on bail, which the party is now supremely confident.

A highly placed DMK source disclosed that the high command initially contemplated a detailed reshuffle of the cabinet involving substantial changes in portfolios and a few sackings/inductions after the release of Balaji. Still, it was kept in abeyance after the bail case progress in the apex court did not inspire confidence in the party leadership. After that, the DMK first family contemplated Udhayanidhi’s elevation without disturbing the existing cabinet composition.

“After the release of Arvind Kejriwal on bail, the high command is 99.9 per cent confident that Balaji would also be released on bail this week. So, there are two options. Either wait for a week to learn the outcome of Balaji’s bail case and elevate the junior along with a reshuffle in the cabinet or elevate the junior in a few days without disturbing the cabinet,” the party source said.

Pertinently, the law was not the only deterrent to Stalin junior’s elevation, which echoed even in Tuesday’s platinum jubilee celebration of the party with its former union minister SS Palanimanickam appealing to CM Stalin not to delay Udhayanidhi’s appointment as deputy CM.

Meanwhile, astrology also seems to be playing a part in slowing the ascension of the DMK scion. A top-level leader privy to the developments, who revealed that it is unlikely to happen on an inauspicious Wednesday, cited the death of a close relative of the Chief Minister’s wife Durga a few days ago, the second such in a few weeks. “Influential members of the first family do not prefer to do it under such inauspicious circumstances. The formal elevation could happen during the Valarpirai (lunar waxing period as per the astrological calendar).”

Up to CM to decide, says Udhay

Udhayanidhi Stalin sought to downplay the issue, at least for now, stating that it was up to the Chief Minister to decide. When reporters egged him on the issue at Kotturpuram, Udhayanidhi asked, “Who told you?”

Asked about former DMK union minister SS Palanimanickam proposing his name at Tuesday’s Mupperum Vizha, an evasive Udhayanidhi, who was all smiles, said, “It is his view. What is your view?”

“CM will decide. You don’t decide. Cadres have expressed their interest. Whatever, all ministers will be supportive (read as deputies) of the CM. It is wholly the personal decision of the Chief Minister.”

In contrast, expectation is high among the party cadre that a formal announcement on Udhay’s elevation could be made public on Friday. Going by information trickling out of Arivalayam, it was only a matter of days before the appointment was publicised if the Balaji bail case did not pan out the way expected by the ruling party's high command.