Reaching Upwards...
- At the Coimbatore general council of the DMK, M.K. Stalin's supporters pushed for him to be made working president, No. 2 to patriarch M. Karunanidhi
- Brother Azhagiri was totally opposed to any such move
- Karunanidhi himself stamped out Stalin's moves to get bigger
- He introduced a new name in the succession race: Kanimozhi
***
The succession war in the DMK has been an elephant in the room since the Tirunelveli DMK youth conference in December 2007. Supporters of M.K. Stalin, former deputy chief minister and younger son of DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi, have been clamouring for their "thalapathi" to be made numero UNO in the party. It did not happen at the Tirunelveli meet, when the DMK was in power; it hasn't happened now, when a battered and bruised DMK met in Coimbatore last weekend.
The difference between Tirunelveli and Coimbatore is that, at the latter meet, Stalin himself egged on his backers to get louder about their support, revealing his impatience. Finally, he was stymied by his own father. At the closed-door executive committee meeting attended by some 350 members, he is learnt to have said that his son's supporters, in their "orchestrated enthusiasm", were "trying to create a rift between me and Stalin. If anyone here feels I should quit, I will do so for the sake of the party". There is one more significant difference—Karunanidhi seems to have introduced another claimant to his throne, his favourite daughter Kanimozhi.
For DMK cadres already grumbling that the Karunanidhi family's domination had caused the party's fall in the elections, Kanimozhi's mother Rajathiammal's presence, behind Karunanidhi, was not reassuring. Also, if partymen came prepared to blame the 2G scam for the electoral loss, then Rajathiammal's presence helped squeeze out some sympathy (at one stage, Karunanidhi and Rajathiammal shed tears) for Kanimozhi. The mother's presence also helped in the adoption of a resolution that the CBI was keeping Kanimozhi in jail because of an "ulterior motive".
Karunanidhi's tactic to stamp out Stalin's overt moves to get anointed with his display of petulance the first day could not, however, keep Stalin's supporters from chanting "Thalapathi, thalapathi!" again the next day at the general council meeting. This time, Karunanidhi abruptly wound up the proceedings for lunch.
Not shaken Stalin caused him embarrassment, but Azhagiri has held his own
M.K. Azhagiri, the elder son and a Union minister, miffed that Stalin overshadowed him at the meeting, went into a sulk and did not show up for the afternoon session. He had earlier threatened to boycott the Tirunelveli meeting altogether. In exchange for his presence, he had got his father to commit that there would be no change in leadership.
It has been whispered in party circles that in the run-up to the meeting in Coimbatore there were tempestuous scenes between Stalin and his father. At the DMK headquarters, Stalin is believed to have argued with his father and walked out in a huff, after which Karunanidhi left for Mahabalipuram to cool off. Clearly, Karunanidhi is fed up.
No one actually asked Karunanidhi to step down, but the idea was to create the post of "working president" for Stalin, a stepping stone to gradually taking full control. But there might still be a via media. Says Anbazhagan, a senior party leader, "Stalin will get his turn at the right time. I am senior to him (Stalin is No. 3 in the party hierarchy) but I will not compete with him after Kalaignar. I am glad he enjoys greater popularity than me. But we cannot imagine a DMK without Kalaignar. Kalaignar is the DMK."
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One G.V. Shah, who has been with the party for more than five decades, is believed to have written seeking the dismantling of the post to avoid "creating factions and confusion". Stalin has also rallied to his side supporters like former minister Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, who from her hospital bed told other Stalin backers, "We have been waiting for long. Please be with him and see that this time Stalin gets the post he deserves."
A former minister said that after the DMK's defeat "many feel that if Stalin had been chosen to lead the DMK campaign, the AIADMK would not have won by a landslide". The feeling is that the party needs a strong and reliable leader, not a temperamental one (read Azhagiri). "Stalin is better than Azhagiri by a mile. No one believes Azhagiri will act responsibly," says a DMK watcher.
Azhagiri is aware of that perception about him. Which is why he has never put himself directly in contention with Stalin, but repeated that "Kalaignar is able and active". Stalin, unlike Azhagiri, has come up from the ranks, built up the youth wing since its inception 21 years ago, went to jail during the Emergency. He has been mayor of Chennai, and an MLA since 1991. He was made a minister only in the last government. "The party should now elevate him, at least as the working president," says an ex-minister.
But Stalin may not have factored in his own father's compulsions. Says a political analyst, "Karunanidhi wants to remain in power. Besides, his agenda now is to see Kanimozhi free." Also, the DMK needs his presence at a time it is in crisis and faces a slew of land-grabbing cases filed by the J. Jayalalitha government, in which many party stalwarts have been arrested. Even Azhagiri is worried, and went to meet his friends in Palayamkottai and Madurai jails last week. Kalaignar is desperate, and the last thing he wants is a split in the party, should Stalin be declared his successor. So the status quo has to prevail. Stalin will have to wait.
AUTHORS: PUSHPA IYENGAR
PEOPLE: M. KARUNANIDHI | M.K. AZHAGIRI | M.K. STALIN | M.K. KANIMOZHI
TAGS: DMK | POLITICS | SPECTRUM SALE AND SCAMS | DYNASTIES
SECTION: NATIONAL
PLACES: TAMIL NADU
Translate JUL 30, 2011 02:27 PM 1 | Wonder why the 500kg of GOLD bought exclusively to be given free of cost to FEMALES has not found a dissenting note in Puspas article? WAKE UP TO GENDER CASTEISM, MALES~! |
JUL 30, 2011 08:27 PM 2 | Pushpa, dont indulge in JOURNALISTIC PROSTITUTION.......I took a quick look at your last 3 articles.. 1. July 25th State Snippets started with "A Donkey, A Horse - "She (Jayalalitha) is so egotistic. That's the difference between her and Karunanidhi," 2. July 29th State Snippets started with "Time for Vendetta - Now that CM Jayalalitha is slowly getting into her vendetta stride" 3. Last para in this article "faces a slew of land-grabbing cases filed by the J. Jayalalitha government" The above clearly establishes the fact that you are against Jaya, but at pleasure to suck up to the previous criminal regime of DMK and here is why 1. Where were you when the previous DMK govt attempted to change a peaceful Tamil Nadu into Somalia? 2. Should each member of the DMK family and DMK cabinet, be held accoutable for the enormous swindle and various crimes that they committed against the people? For ex: Alagiri for the murder of 3 of you fellow journalists and an ex-minister 3. Why are you still making heroes out of plain criminals who are bereft of any skills to lead the state into 21rst century.. A resume of violence and crime is not what the TN people want... and that is precisely why DMK was voted out 4. Regarding your statement in the last para, Jaya govt DID NOT FILE land grabbing cases... The VICTIMS filed those cases.. and it is the responsibilty of Jaya govt to investigate and bring to justice these enormous acts of crime.. Pushpa stop your unethical utter nonsense... Would you realize only if you were thrown out of your property by DMK criminals and your family made to sleep on the streets? |
JUL 31, 2011 11:58 AM 3 | Karunanidhi has realised that he should be inpower to free kanimozhi.Should he die and abrupt death the brothers will just leave her to fate and she will go to dogs.Karunandhi and seniors should realise that he cant be the leader forever.Stalin is still to establish himself as state wide leader.See his marjin of victory just 2000 votes.Dmk future looks bleak and it could split any time |
AUG 01, 2011 10:03 AM 4 | Who cares what Karuna and his sons do? I think the main issue is how did the systems - Law enforcement agencies, judiciary, the press allow mafia and criminal rule on this scale and the dmk family members and their henchmen have amassed thousands of crores . Lokpal bill or no Lokpal bill the people of this country better find ways to stop the looting of the exchequer on this scale in all the states |
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