MK Stalin to be elected Opposition leader

Chennai: DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin will lead the DMK in the Assembly and function as the Opposition leader, while party chief M. Karunanidhi would continue to guide the party from outside, as he will not be able to attend the Assembly.

Stalin will be elected as the Assembly leader of the party at an MLAs meeting on May 25. He had functioned as the floor leader of the DMK in the absence of Karunanidhi in the last session, but his party did not have the opposition status. Stalin will lead a strong team of 89 members, the highest in an opposition party in the history of Tamil Nadu Assembly.

DMK principal secretary K. Duraimurugan will be elected as deputy leader of the opposition. The DMK members will also elect the party whip in the meeting.
Karunanidhi will not be able to raise issues of his constituency Tiruvarur, which elected him with the highest margin in the State, in an election of nail-biting finishes. But, the DMK MLAs will take up the issues of Tiruvarur for their leader. Besides, Karunanidhi would speak on constituency issues from outside.

The DMK leader issued a condolence statement for the death of two persons in his constituency when a temple car capsized and crushed them. Karunanidhi said two persons Kalyana Sundaram and Murugaiyan at Tirukkaravasal village on way to Tirukkuvalai village from Tiruvarur were crushed by the temple car.