45-year-old Udhayanidhi Stalin has taken oath as a cabinet minister in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. Setting a record of becoming the minister in the first term in the assembly in recent times, Udhayanidhi Stalin has also become one of the youngest ministers in the cabinet led by his father and Chief Minister MK Stalin. Though hailing from a political family, Udhayanidhi is much younger and budding politician comparing to the veterans in his party. 

By this time now before five years, Udhayanidhi was dormant in electoral politics and he would have hardly believed that he would become a minister with powerful portfolios in five years. During the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Udhayanidhi rolled out a major political campaign trail when the state's two political giants- Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi were no more. The leadership of his father MK Stalin was also on a litmus test and Udhayanidhi had a steady surge in politics. 

While the ADMK caught into the leadership crisis, Udhayanidhi's campaign gave a big boost to the DMK and after the party recorded a landslide victory, there was a launch of next level of Udhayanidhi's politics - he became DMK's youth wing secretary, the post his father held for over thirty years. Udhayanidhi, who once told he would not pursue politics, had become one of the potential political forces in Tamil Nadu. 

Udhayanidhi needed no introduction to the Tamil people, thanks to his acting career and with a good opening in politics, he soared as a DMK's star campaigner. Leading the party's important political arm, Udhayanidhi played a vital role in preparing the DMK youth wing in the 2021 state assembly polls. It's during this assembly election his political journey surged another level as he contested in the assembly election for the first time. He was fielded in Chepauk-Triplicane constituency in Chennai and eventually won at a high margin. 

With this victory, Udhayanidhi's politics further surged and he entered the assembly for the first time. Later, his works as legislator sparked talks that he should be made the minister. In the midst of the accusation of dynasty politics, he had a strong support from the party for his ministerial elevation. One-and-a-half-year after becoming MLA, Udhayanidhi has now become a minister, which is his new political level that displayed his journey towards political peak. As he is stepping on the stones of success, let's take a look at five events when he made headlines in Tamil Nadu by turning heads, 

1) Showing the AIIMS brick

It's obvious that though there are several events to remember about Udhayanidhi Stalin's journey, this event  of showing the AIIMS brick would be on the top of the table. While he was a star campaigner for DMK in the 2021 assembly polls, Udhayanidhi was campaigning in the Virudhunagar district and little did anyone know that he was going to change the course of the election. He did it and just by showing a brick, he was on a national headlines. 

No one has imagined that he would push his political frontier through a brick that was etched AIIMS. The central-ruling BJP laid the foundation stone for AIIMS Madurai in 2019 and there were no further construction of the project. Slamming the BJP, Udhayanidhi showed the brick to the voters and said he had brought the AIIMS hospital to mock the centre that nothing was done to construct the project. His brick campaign turned heads and he followed the trend across the state. Eventually, his campaign was a superhit. 

2) Free Wifi and educational support at his constituency 

After triumphing from the Chepauk- Triplicane constituency, Udhayanidhi jumped on the street and toured the constituency. He addressed and took actions to resolve flawed infrastructure and he expedited the grassroots workers and officials to fix basic problems. He had pioneered key initiatives in his constituency and his works have made headlines and thrown weight behind the demands that he should be made minister so that his service would benefit the entire state.  

As an MLA, Udhayanidhi has installed free Wifi network across the constituency to benefit the students and he also has introduced a mobile application through which the constituents can report their problems and he can immediately address them. After becoming an MLA, he extensively toured his constituency and being the son of Chief Minister, he kept a low profile that he is easily accessible. He also has provided educational support to the school and college pupils to tune of Rs 1 crore and he also has established a helping corridor for the physically challenged people. 

3) Walking ramp in Marina 

One of his championing initiatives is installing a walking ramp in Marina exclusively for the physically challenged people. He spoken about this project in the assembly and installed a temporary ramp through which the physically challenged people went close to the sea for the first time and had a blissful breeze. The initiative was lauded by thousands across the state and the ramp was permanently installed. However, though the ramp was damaged in the recently-hit cyclone, the initiative was success and gave a spotlight for Udhayanidhi. 

4) Successful balancing of cinema and politics 

Though he became active in politics, he had a good balance with cinema and even after entering the assembly, his successful venture as a producer and distributor in Tamil cinema made headlines and he became the powerhouse in the industry. While on one hand, his initiatives as an MLA were pouring him good remarks and reception, his banner in cinema is having a successful run in recent times. His recent movies including Nenjuku Needhi and Kalaga Thalaivan were the talks of town and recently, he announced that he is looking to venture into complete politics.

5) 'I, Udhayanidhi Stalin...'

Udhayanidhi Stalin is all set to celebrate the New Year by reaching a big level and responsibility. On Wednesday, he took oath as a minister and inducted into the cabinet as the 35th minister. His ministerial elevation was debated and demanded for a long time and now, his father MK Stalin gave a boost to his political career. Udhayanidhi Stalin has been given the portfolios of Youth Welfare and Sports Development and Special Programme Implementation. 

After taking charge as the minister, Udhayanidhi announced that he would stop acting and that Maamaanan will be his last movie. Addressing the mediapersons, Udhayanidhi said he would respond to the criticism from opposition over the dynasty politics through his work. He said that such criticism was there when MK Stalin became the Chief Minister and even when he became the DMK's youth-wing secretary and the party's MLA. "I will definitely discharge my duties as the minister with my best abilities and I thank those who have extended their wishes", the new minister added.