After a couple of junior district secretaries proposed his name for a couple of seats in Chennai, now seniors have started voicing support for Udhayanidhi. DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran was the latest to propose the party youth wing secretary’s candidature. The Central Chennai MP on Sunday publicly declared that Udhayanidhi should contest from Chepauk constituency. Earlier, party district secretary cum Tiruverumbur MLA Mahesh Poyyamozhi had expressed his desire to see Stalin junior contest in the Assembly poll. Amid rumours that the junior was eyeing Saidapet or Thousand Lights, Dayanidhi Maran, who is one of the senior members of the DMK, sprung a surprise by proposing Udhay for Chepauk.

Speaking at a party function organised to honour party workers in Chepauk, Maran said that he requests Udhay on behalf of the people to contest from Chepauk.

“The seat fell vacant after J Anbazhagan’s death. The Assembly constituency falling within my Parliamentary constituency needs an energetic person who will fulfill the aspirations of the people. So, I proposed Udhayanidhi. I told him that he should contest from Chepauk from where Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) was also elected,” Maran told DT Next.

“Udhayanidhi is neck deep in politics. He is one of the prominent second rung leaders. He campaigned in all 40 Lok Sabha constituencies last year. He was one of the star campaigners. He will be a star campaigner in next year’s Assembly election too. Hence, I proposed him for an important constituency,” he added.

Unsurprisingly, the ambitious youth wing secretary responded to the MP’s call in the meeting by passing the buck on to his father Stalin. “I am not competent enough to respond to the request. Only the party president can decide. Whatever the party chief says, I will abide by it,” Udhayanidhi added. “He (Udhay) was indeed right. The only person who can decide on the issue now is Stalin. No one else in contemporary DMK has the courage to discuss his candidature even in private now,” said another party senior who did not wish to be named.