M. K. Stalin

Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin (born 1 March 1953) is an Indian politician who has served as the eighth Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu since 2021. He became president of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on 28 August 2018, after serving as the party's working president from January 2017 to August 2018.

Born in 1953, Stalin is the third son of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi. He completed his education at Presidency College in Chennai in 1973. He began his political career in the late 1960s and was elected to DMK's general committee in 1973. He was jailed during the Emergency in 1976. He became the secretary of the party's youth wing in 1982, a post he held for more than four decades. He served as the 45th mayor of Chennai from 1996 to 2002. He has been elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly eight times, and served as the state's first deputy chief minister from 2009 to 2011.

Stalin is married to Durga, and their son Udhayanidhi currently serves as the state's deputy chief minister. In 2009, Anna University conferred an honorary doctorate on Stalin. In 2025, The Indian Express named him as India's 23rd most powerful personality.

Early and personal life

Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin was born in Chennai on 1 March 1953 as the third son of M. Karunanidhi, who would later serve as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, and Dayalu Ammal. He was named after Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Stalin was educated at Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School. He completed a pre-university course at Vivekananda College and obtained a degree in history from Presidency College in 1973.