Marking the beginning of a new era in the DMK, Tamil Nadu’s principal opposition party, MK Stalin (63) was elected as the leader of the legislative party on Tuesday. This means Stalin would be the leader of the Opposition in the 15th legislative Assembly which is having its first meeting on Wednesday.
The DMK legislature party meeting held at the DMK headquarters was presided over by party chief M Karunanidhi. Veteran leader Durai Murugan has been elected as Stalin's deputy. The one-day session of the 15th legislative Assembly on Wednesday will see the newly elected 232 members being sworn in by the pro-term Speaker S Semmalai. The uniqueness of this House is that the ruling AIADMK and the Opposition DMK is evenly matched. While the treasury bench will have 134 members, the DMK has 89 members. The Congress with eight members and the Muslim league with one member will increase the Opposition bench to an effective strength of 98 members, a record figure in Tamil Nadu politics.
Though the DMK chief Karunanidhi too is a member of the House, he usually does not attend the House when the AIADMK is the ruling party. He did not attend any sessions of the 14th House though he had been elected from Thiruvarur. The explanation given by him was that the House has no ramp for a physically challenged person like him who is always confined to a wheel chair.
Unlike in other States, leaders of the AIADMK and DMK do not even look at each other. Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi had not greeted each other even once during their political career. For a change, Stalin greeted Jayalalithaa for her victory in the assembly election. He also attended the swearing in ceremony on Monday along with ten party MlAs. But the seating arrangement offered to Stalin and colleagues has vitiated the AIADMK-DMK relation further with Karunanidhi lambasting the AIADMK leadership for the “deliberate disrespect” shown to his heir apparent.
The AIADMK camp pointed out that the personalised attacks by Stalin on Jayalalithaa during the election campaign can never be forgotten that easily. “He exceeded all limits while criticising Amma and we will never forget the words he used,” said a senior AIADMK leader.
Election of the Speaker will take place on June 3. It is only after the election of the Speaker, the official schedule of the first full-fledged session of the House would be announced, said sources close to the AIADMK leadership. Meanwhile, CM Jayalalithaa expanded her Cabinet by inducting four more members late Monday evening. The four new ministers which include a woman, would be sworn in at the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday evening. With the induction of Nilofer Kafeel, the MlA representing Vaniyambadi constituency, the council of ministers will have representation from the Muslim community.