MK Stalin will be crowned president of DMK, say leaders

Chennai: That M.K. Stalin will soon don the president’s crown in the DMK was made clear at the party’s executive committee meeting here on Tuesday when party’s principal secretary Duraimurugan hailed him from dais as the ‘president-to-be.’

“Just as we all followed in the footsteps of Kalaignar (late DMK chief M. Karunanidhi), we shall work under the leadership of Thalapathi (Stalin), our working president who is to be the president soon,” the DMK senior told the large gathering of executive members who responded with loud cheering.

 Stalin’s father and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had died a week ago. Tuesday’s emergency meeting of the executive committee was convened at the DMK headquarters – Anna Arivalayam here with a single agenda to pass a resolution condoling the death of DMK stalwart. The meeting was chaired by Stalin, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

After passing the condolence resolution, the DMK leaders praised Karunanidhi and listed his numerous achievements.

“Dear Thalapathi (commander as Stalin is addressed) who is working president and soon-to-become president, lead us and we will obey your orders,” Duraimurugan thundered.

“You have all the skills…. the skills of Anna (DMK founder C N Annadurai), Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) and yourself. There is nobody in Tamil Nadu who can defeat you,” he added.

Former Minister and party’s deputy general secretary Subbulakshmi Jagatheesan stated that several political adversaries had believed that DMK won’t last beyond Annadurai’s lifetime. “But Kalaignar led us to victory in 1971 and took the party forward. Now people are asking if Stalin can take the party forward. Just as Kalaignar kept Periyar and Anna's ideology alive, we will hear news that DMK won over 200 seats in the next election. We have to create this success for Stalin,” she said.

Speaking on the occasion, South Chennai district secretary J. Anbalagan, considered to be very close to DMK working president M. K. Stalin, told him he should severe even his umbilical cord if that came as a threat to the party. He was obviously referring to Stalin’s elder brother M. K. Alagiri, who has thrown up a succession challenge post Karunanidhi.

Referring to the denial of space for Karunanidhi's burial on the Marina by the government, he said a situation should be created where there would be “no space for those who denied place for laying Kalaignar to rest besides Anna's memorial.”