The sudden aggressiveness with which DMK chief M Karunanidhi (93) has been reasserting that he would be the next Chief Minister of the party in his campaign rallies, has taken the people by surprise. “It is a known fact that in the event of the DMK winning the election, Karunanidhi himself would be sworn in as Chief Minister. But his frequent assertions that he himself would be the Chief Minister when the campaign is coming to a close means that there is something wrong in the family as well as the DMK camp,” said Prakash M Swamy, spokesman, Tamil Nadu BJP.
When Karunanidhi launched his election campaign, all his energy was focussed on the DMK’s victory. But the shift in stand is being attributed to the rivalry in the first family of the DMK. Karunanidhi’s second son MK Stalin and wife Durga are pitching strongly for the coronation of Stalin as Chief Minister, according to a source close to the family. He told The Pioneer that Durga, Udayanaidhi (Stalin’s son) and Sabari (Stalin’s son-in-law) are unanimous in their stance that it was time for Thatha (grand father) to make way for Stalin.
“Karunanidhi fears that any move to anoint Stalin at this juncture would lead to far reaching consequences in the party”, said the source, a regular member of Karunanidhi’s kitchen cabinet. He also pointed out that MK Alagiri, Karunanidhi’s elder son, has upped the ante demanding that Stalin should not be made Chief Minister and party president. Karunanidhi declared in his campaign rallies that that though ‘Stalin was a hard worker and well qualified for an elevation', he has to wait till the former took a final bow.