People throng to greet DMK's working president

Chennai: Saranya, who is in her late 20s, came holding her child in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. Waiting patiently in the long queue of people coming to greet M.K. Stalin at his Teynampet bungalow on his becoming DMK's working president, she told this correspondent that she was not even a party member.

“But now I am going to join the DMK. Thalapathi's elevation as the leader gives me hope that good things are ahead for our state and our people”, said Saranya.
Ever since the party general secretary K. Anbazhagan announced at the DMK general council on Wednesday that treasurer Stalin would also be the party's working president, thalapathi has been receiving thousands of party members coming from all over the state to greet him with shawls and garlands.

The seniors and former ministers have the luxury of party photographers taking their pictures with the new chief while the ordinary party workers resort to the selfie to record the memorable moment.

“Ithu unmaiyaana ezhuchchi, ullaththil irunthu varum magizhchi; vara-vaikkapadum koottamalla,” said the former minister Suresh Rajan, meaning that the huge crowds were coming spontaneously to greet Stalin and it showed resurgence of “real robust vigour”.

“Many new members are coming into the party after the crowing of thalapathi. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, he is without any blemishes in his public life and there are no allegations and corruption cases against him.
Secondly, everyone knows that he waited patiently for thalaivar's nod for this elevation instead of trying to push his way up”, said Rajan, who is also the Kanyakumari district secretary and MLA. “In fact, thalapathi would have got this post much earlier just by virtue of his hard work for the party. Being thalaivar's son only delayed it”.