A big drama reminiscent of the “breakfast-to-lunch” fast undertaken by former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi at the Mareena Beach in April 2009 was enacted in the city on Sunday by his beloved son MK Stalin. Sixty-two-year-old Stalin, treasurer of the DMK, who heads the youth wing of the party, sprang a surprise early in the day by submitting his resignation to Karunanidhi from all party posts owning moral responsibility for DMK’s drubbing in the lok Sabha
The DMK, which had contested 35 of 39 lS constituencies in the State, drew a blank by failing to win even a single seat. Three of its candidates lost their deposits too. The debacle drew widespread criticism from some of the party leaders as it was Stalin who called the shots in selecting the 35 candidates.
His move to field tainted leaders like A Raja, TR Baalu and Dayanidhi Maran had shocked the party workers and senior leaders alike. Though the news of his resignation was kept a closely-guarded secret, by noon, this was selectively leaked and hundreds of Stalin loyalists assembled in front of Karunanidhi’s residence at Gopalapuram asking Stalin to take back the resignation.
Meanwhile Karunanidhi flatly refused to accept the resignation. Second-wrung leaders, like M Subramaniam, former Minister Durai Murugan, and other family loyalists pleaded with Stalin not to resign. Following “persistent requests” from party leaders, a beaming Stalin came out of his house and said he would take back the resignation, much to the relief of thousands of his followers.
Meanwhile, MK Alagiri, Karunanidhi’s Madurai-based elder son who was expelled from the party to facilitate the coronation of Stalin as the next party chief, described the episode as a drama. “The responsibility of the defeat of the DMK candidates in the lok Sabha election rests with Stalin. Nothing short of his resignation would save the party from the present predicament. If the party chief allows himself to be blackmailed by Stalin, the future of the DMK itself would be in danger and the party would be wiped out in the 2016 Assembly elections,” said Alagiri.
By evening, the tense atmosphere gave way to happiness and all leaders who were seen raising slogans demanding Stalin to take back the resignation letter were patting each other as the scion of the Karunanidhi clan has agreed to stay back and serve the people of Tamil Nadu.