With less than a week remaining for the crucial General Council meeting convened to elect the new president of the party, the DMK is leaving no stone unturned to make the event a smooth affair. It is almost certain that MK Stalin, the working president of the party, who is also the second son of the late M Karunanidhi would get unanimously elected as the party chief.
But the thunder of resentment heard from Marina Beach on August 13 has not gone unnoticed by the DMK leadership. M K Alagiri, the elder son of Karunanidhi, who is also a strong contender for the post of party chief, had attacked his brother Stalin and his close associates for keeping the former outside the party. Alagiri had also claimed that true followers of late Karunanidhi were with him only and time alone would tell what was in store for the party.
Taken aback by the stubborn stance of Alagiri, the DMK leadership went into a huddle and came out with a new strategy which they hope would counter the threat issued by the former. Selvi, Karunanidhi’s favourite daughter, was chartered by the party leadership for fighting the fire caused by Alagiri.
Selvi, hitherto confined to the Gopalapuram residence of Karunanidhi , was interviewed by Sun News, one of the TV channels owned by Kalanidhi Maran. The interview was recorded and aired even before the conclusion of the mourning period announced by the DMK. This was Selvi’s first ever media interview and its timing is noteworthy.
Karunanidhi’s daughter was seen sobbing uncontrollably during the interview whenever she was asked about the time she spent with her father. Her melancholy knew no bounds when she was asked about life after Karunanidhi. “Appa never wanted the family to disintegrate. He wanted all of us children to stay together united. For him the party and family were top priorities. I hope all of us will stay together,” said Selvi despite tears chocking her voice.
It is an open secret that Selvi acts as the peace maker between Alagiri and Stalin. Alagiri is known for his closeness with Selvi and is known to do anything to make his sister happy. There are unconfirmed reports that the DMK may even field Selvi as a candidate in the by-poll to be held at Thiruvarur assembly constituency which fell vacant following the death of Karunanidhi. It was Selvi who actively campaigned for her father from the constituency n the 2011 and 2016 assembly elections. She was an instant hit with the voters though she did not address any public meetings. The DMK may try to exploit the feeling of sympathy among the voters.